Cancer Detection from Mammograms

Mammograms are preliminary diagnostic tools that detect breast cancer when patients show no other signs or symptoms of the disease. Here is a basic overview of what a mammogram is and how cancer detection from mammograms occurs.

What is a mammogram?

The two basic types of mammograms are screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms. Both types are basically x-ray pictures of the breast. Screening mammograms often find tiny tumors too small to be physically felt or seen, and these screenings also detect microcalcifications, or minute calcium deposits, that are often another symptom of breast cancer. Diagnostic mammograms are usually ordered when a patient reports symptoms associated with breast cancer, such as breast pain, changes in the breast size or shape or nipple discharge.

How are screening mammograms different from diagnostic mammograms?

Screening mammograms generally take just two x-ray pictures of each breast, while diagnostic mammograms are more extensive and require a series of photos taken from different angles.

Why are mammograms no longer recommended for women under 40?

Screening mammograms are no longer recommended as an annual exam for women under 40 because of the high incidence of false positives. Dense breast tissue shows up as white on an x-ray just as a tumor does. Since younger women have denser breasts than older women, younger women have a higher incidence of being diagnosed with breast cancer when they are actually cancer-free.

Age is the most important indicator of the likelihood of a breast cancer diagnosis. Statistically, American women in their 60s and 70s have a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer than younger women, which is why mammograms are strongly recommended every 1 to 2 years for women over 40.