MAMMOGRAPHY

Breast cancer has ranked number one cancer among Indian females with age adjusted rate as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and mortality 12.7 per 100,000 women. A mammogram is an X-ray examination of the breast. It is used to detect and diagnose breast diseases in women who either have breast problems, such as a lump, pain, or nipple discharge, as well as for women who have no breast complaints. The procedure allows detection of breast cancers, benign tumors, and cysts before they can be detected by palpation (touch). Mammography may be used either for screening or to make a diagnosis. Women aged 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms done if they wish to do so. Women beyond the age of age between 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening. Mammograms are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease. As mammography uses x-rays to produce images of the breast, patients are exposed to a small amount of ionizing radiation. For most women, the benefits of regular mammograms outweigh the risks posed by this amount of radiation.