3 Uncommon uses of mammography
Mammography is a popular diagnostic tool that is used to diagnose and monitor various conditions associated with the breast. It is a specific type of x-ray imaging used to create comprehensive images of the breast. Although commonly used for detecting breast cancer, mammography is also useful for the evaluation of other clinical conditions. Continued reading will further explore mammography and its uses, both common and uncommon.
Types of Mammography and Common Uses
There are two types of mammograms, screening and diagnostic. Screening mammography is used when a woman is without complaints or symptoms associated with breast cancer. It is recommended for women to have this procedure performed every one to two years once reaching the age of 40 and once yearly upon reaching age 50. This diagnostic screening is also done at younger ages when a woman’s risk for the development of breast cancer is high. The goal of a screening mammogram is to detect breast cancer in very early stages, when it is too small to be detected by a woman or her physician.
A diagnostic mammogram is performed when a woman either has an abnormality that was detected during a screening mammogram or if she has symptoms that may be associated with breast cancer. This type of mammography is more involved as it is used to pin-point the location of a breast abnormality, determine its size and to image the surrounding lymph nodes and tissue. Common uses include the following:
- After detection of a lump in the breast.
- Complaints of breast pain.
- Thickening of the breasts skin.
- Unusual nipple discharge.
- A noted change in the shape or size of the breast.
Uncommon Uses for Mammography
Widely used and commonly associated with the assessment and diagnosis of breast cancer, mammograms have some other uses that some may consider uncommon and include the following:
Breast Implants — A mammogram may be performed to assess the integrity of breast implants and detect implant rupture. If a rupture has occurred silicone gel will be detected on the outer implant. This may indicate complete disruption of the implant shell or a loss in the integrity of a shell and the movement of silicone gel outside of it.
Breast Reduction and Nipple Grafting — This procedure is performed for women who have larger than average, dense breasts. Common complaints of affected women may be related to the weight of the breasts, breast pains, and shoulder grooving and ulceration as a result of their brassiere support. Prior to the procedure, a mammogram is performed for women who are 40 years or older that have not had a mammogram in the previous six to nine months. Baseline mammograms are also obtained at approximately six months postoperatively. The purpose is to provide a comparison with any future mammograms and to notate any changes that may have occurred following the surgical procedure.
Breast Calcifications — These are small deposits of calcium that develop in the breast tissue of women. Calcifications are quite common and typically noncancerous. As they do not cause a woman to experience any symptoms they are not detectable during a routine breast exam. Breast calcifications are discovered typically during a screening mammogram and further follow-up with diagnostic mammography is necessary to obtain a comprehensive breast image that will allow the detection of early breast cancer or precancerous cells.
Improving Patient Care & Outcomes
In the United States, breast cancer statistics are alarming. Currently it is expected that 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime. Also, in 2015, it is expected that an estimated 231,840 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 60,290 with non-invasive breast cancer.
With these types of statistics it is essential for women in the community to have access to mammography for any reason, common and uncommon. As the complexity of breast cancer treatment is increasing, clinical pathways are widely utilized to improve the quality of care and better patient outcomes.
For a woman undergoing mammography this means that each of her individual healthcare providers will have better access to all medical records and imaging. Therefore, many healthcare facilities are adopting the strategy of enterprise imaging. This is an image management strategy that encompasses an entire enterprise. With this in place, clinicians are able to increase their access to mammograms despite location. In addition, enterprise-wide images can be archived using a vendor neutral archive. This affords complete management of an image providing a consolidated patient view which allows clinicians to access both current and historical images at their point of care. These advancements in healthcare will prove beneficial in the diagnosis and treatment of breast abnormalities as well as any health condition.