For most adult women, having a regular, annual mammogram is a matter of medical common sense. This quick and easy screening procedure saves thousands of lives every year by catching breast disease at its earliest stages and allowing physicians to treat patients while a complete cure is likely. Thankfully, most mammography screenings reveal nothing for women to be concerned about!

If your mother hasn’t had a mammogram performed at Lake Medical Imaging, ask her to call us and set an appointment. If your adult daughter hasn’t begun her regular program of annual mammography, suggest to her that now is a great time to start playing it smart. The same is true for your wife, your sister, your female friends and yourself. It’s never too late to start a smart habit that could, literally, save your life.

What is Mammography?
Mammography is an x-ray of breast tissue. The image produced is called a mammogram. A mammogram can help detect problems with your breasts. There's a small amount of radiation with mammography, but the benefits of this test far outweigh any risks.

Screening Guidelines

The following are recommended guidelines for regular mammogram screening:

• By age 40:  Have a first mammogram to be used as a baseline
  
  
• 40-49 years of age:  Have a mammogram every one or two years as directed by your health care provider
  
  
• 50 and over: Have a Mammogram every year

 

Regular self-exams are also an important part of maintaining your breast health. Breast self-exams help you become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts, so you can quickly detect any changes and promptly report them to your doctor.

Do a breast self-examination once a month, about two weeks after your period starts. If you don't have periods, do it on the same day each month.