After heart disease and lung cancer, breast cancer kills more women than any other disease. This year, it will claim about 40,000 lives. The key to surviving breast cancer is early detection and the only way to ensure early detection is to see a doctor regularly, and follow guidelines established by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute for mammography screening.

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray picture taken of your breast or breasts. Physicians use the mammogram to regularly screen healthy women for changes in their breasts. It plays a key role in the detection of suspicious breast lumps and calcifications. Sometimes, the mammogram can pick up these lumps a year or two before they would be noticed through breast self examinations.

Women & Infants was the first hospital in the region to offer the latest in mammogram technology - digital breast tomosynthesis. This gives the radiologists more precise, three-dimensional views of the breast tissue and boosts the rate of early detection, while also lowering the rate of false positives.

Although mammography cannot identify a lump as breast cancer, any unusual findings or lumps can be further investigated to determine if they are benign or cancerous tumors. Finding breast cancer early, when the cancer is small, improves the patient's response to treatment and often requires less surgery, radiation or drug treatment.

Approximately 10% of breast cancers will not be identified by mammogram, even if they can be felt as lumps. For this reason, regular examinations by a health care provider are important components of breast cancer detection.

Safe Test
The new low-dose mammography technology makes mammography screening safe and accurate. The latest American Cancer Society guidelines are as follows:

Recommendations for Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Mammogram Controversy
In late 2009, there was some controversy surrounding the mammogram. A federal task force suggested that because the tests are less effective in predicting cancer in women under the age of 50, only women over 50 be given mammograms and only every two years.

Women & Infants Hospital issued a statement on the matter. The hospital continues to mirror American Cancer Society guidelines that recommend all women over the age of 40 be given annual mammograms.

Scheduling
Routine mammography are scheduled Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, in the Radiology Department at Women & Infants. Schedule one by calling 401-274-1122, extension1248.

Free valet parking is available to patients who come to Women & Infants for diagnostic tests such as mammograms. Valet parking is available between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Please use the circular drive in front of Women & Infants' main entrance at 101 Dudley Street, Providence. Valet parking staff will park your cars and retrieve them for you. If your test lasts beyond 5:00 pm, your keys will be held by the Security staff near the Triage entrance.