What is digital mammography? What are the advantages?
Breast cancer, which is seen in one out of every 8 women, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women. The diagnosis of breast cancer, which is treatable and can be cured when detected at an early stage with regular screening, can be diagnosed with technological diagnosis methods. Digital mammography, which is one of the scanning methods, allows to see nodules that are too small to be palpable, and enables the masses that cannot be seen even on ultrasound to be marked and removed. Images obtained from digital mammography, taken with a lower dose of radiation than normal mammography, can be examined in much more detail on the screen, as they are very high resolution.
Contents
What is digital mammography?
Which patient group is digital mammography applied to?
What are the advantages of digital mammography?
How is digital mammography applied?
Frequently asked questions about digital mammography
What is digital mammography?
Digital mammography is a low-dose X-ray imaging method used in the screening and early detection of breast cancer. It is a kind of X-ray of the breast. Thanks to digital mammography, the cancerous cell can be diagnosed when it is very small and at a stage that can be easily treated.
Which patient group is digital mammography applied to?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all women over the age of 40 have a mammography examination once a year for screening purposes. Screening mammography is a type of mammography performed for control purposes in cases where symptoms are not seen. Mammography can also be done for diagnostic purposes. Diagnostic mammography may be recommended in cases such as the presence of a palpable mass in the breast, nipple depression, skin hardening, breast implant or fluid coming from the breast.
If there is a family history of breast cancer, it may be necessary to have it done at an earlier age.
What are the advantages of digital mammography?
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in our country. Since most of the early stage breast cancers do not show any symptoms by palpation, regular screenings are very important in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Among the advantages of digital mammography are the high resolution of the images, the detection of microscopic in-situ cancer cells, the detection of calcification areas called microcalcification, the detection of nodules that are too small to be palpable, and the detection of masses that cannot be seen even on ultrasound.
Another advantage of digital mammography is that the shooting and examination process is short, as there is no need for a film-bath process.
How is digital mammography applied?
Just like classical mammography, the breast tissue is compressed a little by a plate that brings the beam tube and breast tissue together. In general, images of each breast are obtained from the front and the side in two different positions. If there is a suspicious finding, additional images may need to be taken for diagnosis. The rays are transferred to the electronic environment by passing the breast tissue and the images taken are projected onto large digital screens for the radiologist to evaluate.
Frequently asked questions about digital mammography
What kind of preparation should be made before digital mammography?
-Digital mammography appointments of patients with sensitive breast tissue should not be adjusted to the premenstrual period as it will increase pain and sensitivity,
– Deodorant, talcum powder or lotion should not be applied to the breasts or armpits as they may spoil the appearance,
-The examining technician should be warned by the patient about issues such as family history, surgery status and the possibility of pregnancy.
– All documents related to the previous shooting must be brought.
What diseases is mammography used to diagnose?
Mammography is one of the most effective imaging methods in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
It is used in the diagnosis of masses that are too small to be detected in breast examination.
How is digital mammography different from conventional mammography?
Difference of digital mammography from normal mammography; It is the creation and evaluation of the image in a computer environment using an electronic detector instead of an X-ray film. The radiation dose received by the breast in digital mammography is lower than that of normal mammography and is 1/10 of it. Obtained digital mammography images can be examined in detail on very high resolution large monitors by adjusting the magnification, brightness and contrast settings. It can also be compared and stored in a computer environment with previous reviews.
Is digital mammography a painful procedure?
During the digital mammogram procedure, only some pressure is often felt, not pain. This is because the breast tissue is compressed between the two plates of the mammography device. It should not be forgotten that compression is very important in terms of increasing the diagnostic value of the extraction. Adequate compression can increase the likelihood of a possible mass, especially in women with a dense breast structure, by allowing the tissues to separate more from each other. In order to minimize the discomfort in this regard and to increase the probability of detecting the lump, the mammography appointment date is given 7-10 days after the onset of menstruation, when the breast is least sensitive. Depending on breast density, breast size, patient’s age, patient’s sensitivity, menstrual cycle, surgery status, and technician-related conditions, the patient may experience some discomfort. However, mammography does not cause permanent pain. Patients report that the new devices cause less discomfort.
Is digital mammography a reliable method?
Digital mammography is a reliable method known as the gold standard. However, since the breast tissue overlaps depending on the density, small hidden masses may not be seen in the mammography examination. For this, the Radiologist may request additional imaging such as ultrasound.
Which patient group is digital mammography applied to?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all women over the age of 40 have a mammogram for screening purposes once a year. Screening mammography is a type of mammography performed for control purposes in cases where symptoms are not seen. Mammography can also be done for diagnostic purposes. Diagnostic mammography may be recommended in cases such as the presence of a palpable mass in the breast, nipple depression, skin hardening, breast implant or fluid coming from the breast.
How often should a digital mammogram be taken?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all women over the age of 40 should have a screening mammogram once a year. Your doctor may make different recommendations based on your previous mammogram and disease status.
Can all breast cancers be detected with digital mammography?
Digital mammography is the first method used in the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, mammography may not detect all cases of breast cancer. For this reason, small masses may not be seen in those with dense breast tissue. In these cases, the radiologist may request additional imaging methods such as ultrasonography, tomosynthesis and breast MRI.
Are there any side effects of digital mammography?
A dose of radiation is taken in a mammogram. However, this dose is very low and can be neglected. It is equivalent to the dose taken from the atmosphere in three months or the dose taken when traveling to America by plane. There is no scientific data yet on the development of breast cancer due to mammography. In addition, in various studies, it is seen that deaths from breast cancer decrease by an average of 20-40% with screening mammography. For these reasons, it is unnecessary to avoid mammography due to radiation when the profit/loss ratio is taken into account.
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