Oct. 9, 2025 | October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month worldwide, part of a campaign dedicated to raising public awareness about breast cancer, promoting early detection through regular screenings and supporting those affected by the disease. Mammography is specialized medical imaging that uses a low-dose X-ray system to see inside the breasts. Mammography plays a central part in early detection of breast cancers because it can show changes in the breast years before a patient or physician can feel them. Current guidelines from the American College of Radiology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend that women at average risk for breast cancer have a screening mammogram every year beginning at age 40. Research has shown that annual mammograms lead to early detection of breast cancers, when they are most curable and breast-conservation therapies are available.

Oct. 9, 2025 | The process of having a mammogram is simple and only slightly uncomfortable for most women. It begins with the patient standing in front of a special X-ray machine. A technologist will place your breast on a plastic plate. Another plate will firmly press your breast from above. The plates will flatten the breast, holding it still while the X-ray is being taken. You will feel some pressure. The steps are repeated to make a side view of the breast. The other breast will be X-rayed in the same way. You will then wait while the technologist checks the X-rays to make sure the pictures do not need to be redone. Keep in mind that the technologist cannot immediately tell you the results of your mammogram. Each woman’s mammogram may look a little different because all breasts are a little different. A doctor with special training, called a radiologist, will look at the X-ray for early signs of breast cancer or other problems.

Oct. 9, 2025 | Breast tomosynthesis is a form of breast imaging where multiple images of the breast from different angles are captured and reconstructed into a three-dimensional image set. It is also known as a 3D mammogram. The UAMS Breast Center has used this advanced technology since 2014, and every patient in the Breast Center is offered this exam. During a three-dimensional mammogram, an X-ray tube moves in an arc around the breast, taking multiple images from different angles. Those images are combined in a computer to produce clear, detailed images of the breast tissue. Radiologists can more easily see through the overlying normal breast tissue to spot small abnormalities on a three-dimensional mammogram. Studies have found that the 3D mammogram finds more cancers at an earlier stage. They also find more cancers in patients with dense breast tissue and reduce the number of false findings.

Oct. 9, 2025 | When preparing for a mammogram, there are certain steps you should take. Before scheduling a mammogram, you should discuss any new findings or problems in your breasts with your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor about any prior surgeries, hormone use, and family history of breast cancer. Do not schedule your mammogram for the week before your menstrual period if your breasts are usually tender during this time. Always inform your doctor or X-ray technologist if there is any possibility that you are pregnant. And don’t wear deodorant, talcum powder or lotion under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam. These can appear on the mammogram as calcium spots. It’s a good idea to obtain your prior mammograms and make them available to the radiologist if they were done at a different location. This is needed for comparison with your current exam and can often be obtained on a CD.

Oct. 9, 2025 | Contrast-enhanced mammography, or CEM, was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2011 as a diagnostic imaging tool to aid in the detection and evaluation of breast cancer. A CEM is just like a regular mammogram, but with an additional step. Before receiving a mammogram, the patient gets an IV injection of iodine-based dye. The dye highlights abnormal blood vessels and hyperactive tissues that can happen when cancers develop. Contrast-enhanced mammograms can evaluate the functional state of breast tissues much like a breast MRI can. CEM is often recommended for women with dense breast tissue, which can hide small masses and make it difficult to detect breast cancers early. The process is faster, less expensive and generally better tolerated than an MRI. CEM, which is available through the UAMS Breast Center, isn’t for everyone so talk to your doctor to determine the right type of imaging for you.