Breast Cancer Prevention: What to Expect During Your Mammogram! Women's Health Cancer

A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray image of the breast. Mammograms are still the best way to find breast cancer early, says the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). They can find breast lumps when they are too small for a woman or her doctor to feel. Here’s how your mammogram should be performed, according to the FDA:

• You will need to take off your shirt and bra.
• You will stand in front of the X-ray machine.
• Your breast is placed on a small platform.
• A clear plastic plate presses down on the breast for a few seconds. Some women say the pressure feels uncomfortable, but most don’t find it painful.
• The technologist will take several pictures of the breast.
• A specialist then looks at the X-ray pictures to see if there are any changes in the breast.
• You and your health care provider should get a written report of the results within 30 days after your mammogram. Call if you don’t get your results. Don’t assume that everything is normal. 
• You have the right to get the original mammogram X-ray pictures.

Find a certified mammogram site near you with your zip code. Learn more about mammograms.

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