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.
While a Hoag breast radiologist reviews your mammogram, a specially designed
computer program called Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) scans the images
and identifies areas that may require further review. This technology
further helps your radiologist detect abnormalities, acting as an extra
pair of eyes.
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:
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.