Mammography and Types Of Different Breast Exams
We all know breast cancer is one of the deadliest diseases that take the lives of millions of women worldwide. healthcare organizations must spread awareness about the diseases and what measures should be taken to prevent them.
Thus, to detect breast cancer at its early stages, check-ups, mammography, and other screening methods are all possible ways to detect it before the disease spreads and ends up staking the individual’s life. This is why regular breast checks can aid in the early detection of breast cancer when it is most curable. So, make sure you analyze the symptoms before it is too late.
The most effective defense against breast cancer is early detection. This is the primary reason why forty-millions mammogram screenings are performed in the United States of America alone.
If you are looking forward to reading more about mammography or different types of breast exams, then dive in!
What are Mammograms?
A mammogram is a famous method that doctors use to examine the breasts to detect whether or not the patient has breast cancer. Sometimes it is also referred to as the screen exams performed by the doctors.
It is also used to detect other disorders the patient might suffer from. it becomes easier for the health care facilitator to examine the patient’s condition and start his treatment correctly when the time calls for it.
There are different types of mammography, but the aim is to get the proper picture of the breasts.
Different Types Of Breast Examinations
The doctors recommend different types of breast exams after analyzing your health condition and symptoms. The two of the most famous types of breast exams are digital mammography vs. tomosynthesis. Read below to know the major differences between mammography and different types of breast exams.
1.    Digital Mammography
Moreover, your healthcare facilitator will use a particular machine to obtain X-rays of your breasts during mammography. The equipment compresses the breast tissue between two plates, allowing for a better view of the breast tissue.
Thus, it is essential to do this because it aims to have a holistic view of your breasts. After the process is done, reports are sent to a radiologist. Thus, the radiologist examines the images taken during mammography to look for problems in your breasts.
Breast abnormalities are frequently discovered on mammograms, such as the masses or tumors. Thus, it helps clarify whether the detected mass is cancerous tumors or not and how serious the condition is.
Please remember that your radiologist may ask you patiently to return for extra imaging. Sometimes, it is better to analyze a specific location in a tiny percentage of screening mammography. But do not be alarmed most of the time; these extra photos reveal nothing alarming. The radiologist must compare your current mammogram to previous ones.
So please carry your past reports as well or let the radiologist know about your medical history.
1.    Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (3-D Mammography)
Tomosynthesis is the most recent type of mammography used by doctors. This creates a three-dimensional (3-D) picture of the breast. Therefore, this 3-D scan reveals the interior structure of the breasts more clearly. it becomes easier for the doctor to read the internal image and tell more accurately about the patient’s condition with such advanced technology.
The primary reason is that this mammogram is performed while keeping the breast in the standard position. Therefore, it takes only a few seconds to obtain the image, but be mindful that your experience would be the same as regular mammography. Only an advanced machine is being used.
Moreover, one benefit of this mammography is that 3-D mammography does not expose you to any more radiation than a regular digital mammogram does. So, it is safer than the ordinary one.
2.    Breast Ultrasound
It is another popular method used by doctors to scan the regions of concern in the breast with the help of sound waves. Thus, the sound waves create images later read by the radiologist.
Before this procedure, your doctor will ask you to lie down and apply some gel to your breast. This method is also used with mammography if women have thick breasts in order to examine the condition more accurately.
In this process, sound waves are used that can create images of the breast tissue. Thus, this can identify the tissue composition and blood flow in the targeted area of the breast that is the cause of stress. Hence, this data helps the radiologists to determine your condition and prepare reports accordingly.
Simply put, breast ultrasound is considered one of the popular methods to examine the breasts to understand the patient’s condition.
3.    Breast MRI
It is another sophisticated imaging method that can be used instead of mammograms or ultrasounds. Thus, it solves the problem of exposing women to radiation frequently.
The diagnostic imaging centers employ this radiation-free imaging technology to create 3-D images of the breasts that are used for screening, assessing therapy response, and pre-surgery planning. Hence, MRIs create a sharp and clear picture that doctors can easily read.
The powerful 3 Tesla (3T) machines used in this process. Do not worry! It will not cause any sort of discomfort, but you should take precautions and hope for better results.
This exam lasts about forty-five to fifty minutes, and you should not move during the process; otherwise, better results will not be obtained. Your radiologists might provide eye covers, anti-anxiety medicines, headphones, and several other stuff to prepare you for the process.
4.    Breast Needle Biopsy
Another type of breast examination is the breast needle biopsy is performed at a later stage. There are times that after the mammography, the doctors suspect that there might be some tumor in the breast. Do not be alarmed! Most of the time cancer is not detected, but your healthcare facilitator might ask you to go for it.
Thus, this helps determine the patient’s condition, and then the proper treatment can start.
Final Thoughts
We hope you understand the mammography or different types of breast exams that used to diagnose the patient’s condition. So, make sure that you make your health a priority and visit your doctor if you suspect any symptoms.