What is a diagnostic mammogram?
What is a diagnostic mammogram? Do I need to have one?
A diagnostic mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and is recommended when there is reason to suspect cancer. Because younger women (generally less than 35 years old) have denser breast tissue, mammography is less helpful in this situation.Diagnostic mammography is more thorough than regular “screening” mammography. It includes extra compression
to “push” normal breast tissue out of the way and give a clearer image of the suspicious area. If tiny flecks of calcium (microcalcifications) are noticed, magnified views will be taken since these flecks are
sometimes associated with cancer.
If there is any doubt about what the mammogram shows, it is recommended
that two individuals experienced in reading mammograms should interpret the results. For an accurate diagnosis, a high-quality mammogram is important. To ensure high quality you should check that your centre is accredited by the Canadian Association of Radiologists.
However, even when all the best procedures are followed, cancer is not always visible on a mammogram, which means that a normal result is not absolute proof that there is no cancer.