Mammogram
Should you have an annual mammogram?
Yes. Routine annual mammograms, also known as screening mammograms, play a key role in your breast health. Mammograms are safe, non-invasive, and are able to detect subtle changes in the breast years before you or your physician can feel them.
A mammogram is a low dose X-ray that produces highly-detailed images of the breast. Historically, mammograms were displayed and stored on film. Hoag now utilizes digital mammography, where the images are recorded and stored on a secure computer.
Digital mammography represented a significant advance in breast screening and Hoag was the first direct-to-digital mammography facility in Orange County and remains at the forefront of its rapid evolution.
Digital mammograms:
- Produce highly detailed images of the breast that can be instantly viewed on a computer and securely stored.
- Allow your doctor to alter contrast, magnify or otherwise manipulate an image in order to highlight specific areas of the breast.
- Can detect subtle changes in the breast before a woman or her physician can feel them.
Why have your mammogram at Hoag?
At Hoag Breast Center, our breast imagers are all dedicated, specialty-trained breast radiologists who are committed to providing the highest level of quality, care, and compassion for women undergoing screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for breast cancer.
And the impact of having high-quality breast radiologists is clear and quantifiable. The table below illustrates National quality benchmarks for mammography in comparison to Hoag Breast Center statistics:
| Quality Benchmarks | National Quality Benchmarks | Hoag Breast Center |
|---|---|---|
|
Call Back Rate |
10.6% | 7.7% |
| Cancer detection rate (per 1000) | 5.6 | 2.5 |
| % of exams recommended for biopsy that actually have cancer (PPV2) | 37.6% | >25% or 20-40% |
What does this data mean? It means that by having your screening mammogram at Hoag, you are less likely to be recalled unnecessarily for additional imaging, we are more likely to detect a cancer should you have one, and you are less likely to undergo an unnecessary biopsy than you would at the average screening facility. In short, a screening mammogram performed at Hoag, is more accurate than one performed at most other facilities.
Schedule your mammogram at Hoag today
Mammograms are important for all women, so be proactive with your breast health and schedule a screening mammogram today. Mammograms screenings are available at all Hoag imaging locations and breast centers.