Mammography School

A mammogram is another way to detect breast cancer. This technique is performed by a radiology technologist, mammography product or soft tissue X-ray of the chest which allows the doctor to see tumors that are too small to be detected by physical examination.

A mammogram also reveals the presence of other tumors and allows the doctor to tell whether they are cancerous or not.

"According to the National Cancer Institute, mammography helped detect 45 percent of breast cancers that were missed by the doctor when he looked in the manual. For cancers earlier, called tumors minimum, which can be felt and can not be detected by mammography, the cure rates of up to 95 per cent are reported, "revealed Marrion Morra, assistant director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut, and Eve Potts in "choice: Alternatives realistic in the treatment of cancer. "

However, the procedure is not without drawbacks. Like other diagnostic tools, mammography relies on the skills of the technician taking the X-rays and the radiologist who interprets them. Both should be very experienced in interpreting mammograms and give the correct interpretation.

The position on the chest X-ray plate can give distorted results. False readings can also be obtained from a mammogram. It can show a tumor when there is none or it may indicate the absence of cancer in those who have the disease. For this reason, mammography should not be used alone or combined with other diagnostic techniques.

There is much controversy about the use of routine mammography for detecting breast cancer. This situation stems from the fear that the procedure could needlessly expose women to dangerous levels of radiation, which increases the risk of cancer.

There is some truth in that. Old appliances and methods exposed women to about 10 rads of radiation that are dangerous if done regularly over a 10 - to 20-year period. This was emphasized by Dr. A. Corazon Ngelangel, Professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, and a consultant to the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital.

"Mammography is like a double edged sword. It is more sensitive than breast examination for detecting small lesions of less than two centimeters, but it has a carcinogenic effect. Young women who are exposed to this technique may develop cancer later, "said Ngelangel.

For those who need a mammogram if they will be happy to know that new technologies have eliminated the risk of cancer, and lower radiation doses less than one rad per breast. So if your doctor tells you to have a mammogram to check the installation and ensure that the machine has the lowest radiation dose possible. (Next: Who needs a mammogram?)

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