YOUR FIRST (BASELINE) MAMMOGRAM

At Imaging Associates of Providence, we take extra special care of our first-time mammography patients. You may be nervous and may have questions and that’s just fine with us.

We hope the info below will help alleviate some of your fears, and we encourage you to ask us anything and everything.

What is a Mammogram?

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray image of your breast tissue.

Why Start at 40?

Mammography plays a central part in early detection of breast cancers because it shows changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recommend a screening mammogram every year for women, beginning at age 40. We also encourage you to talk to you primary care provider if you have any questions about when you should have your first screening mammogram.

Preparing is easy.

To prepare for your appointment, the only thing we ask is that you don’t wear deodorant, lotions, baby oil, or talcum powder on your upper body. These products often have aluminum oxide or some other metal in them, which could show up on your image...and lead to a misdiagnosis. If you forget, we’ll just have you step into the bathroom with a washcloth to wipe it off as best you can.

As for when to schedule your appointment, we suggest that if your breasts tend to get tender the week before your period, that you not schedule your appointment during this time. The best time to schedule a mammogram is one week following your period.

Time commitment is just 25 minutes (at IAP).

At Imaging Associates, we’ll have you in and out of your entire appointment in 25 minutes or less. The actual x-ray takes just seconds for each breast.

What it’s like...

First you’ll check in at the reception area, fill out medical history forms, and wait for your name to be called.

Our mammography technologist will take you back to a private changing room, where you’ll remove all jewelry and clothing above your waist, including your bra, and put on one of our comfy cloth “capes” that open in the front.

When you’re ready, you’ll step into the private mammography room. We encourage you to describe any breast symptoms or concerns you may have with the mammographer so she can make your experience more comfortable and your images all the more precise.

To begin the mammogram, the mammographer will have you walk up to the mammography (x-ray) machine and stand in front of it. She’ll adjust the machine for your height and then have you open your cape and place your right breast on the machine’s plastic plate.

She will then lower the other plate over your breast, slowly compressing your breast between the two plastic plates. Breast compression is necessary in order to:

• Even out breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be visualized;
  
• Spread out the tissue so that small abnormalities won't be obscured by overlying breast tissue;
  
• Allow the use of a lower x-ray dose;
  
• Hold the breast still to eliminate blurring of the image caused by motion; and
  
• Reduce X-ray scatter to increase sharpness of picture.

The good news is that the “squishing” only lasts a few seconds while the mammographer steps back to the controls, shoots the x-ray image, and then releases you.

This process repeats four times — 1 top and 1 side view for each breast. And then you’re free!

While you’re still in the room, the mammographer will quickly check the images to make sure they are complete. If they are, you’re done! However, she may need to check with the radiologist to be sure she has the exact image the doctor wants, and may in some cases need to repeat a particular view.

Once the mammographer has everything she needs, you’ll step back into the changing room, put on your clothes, and be on your way.

After the exam, some women report that their breasts are slightly red and/or tender for a few hours, but that fades quickly.

You’ll get the results from your doctor.

Our radiologists will analyze your images and get a report (describing any abnormalities and suggesting a likely diagnosis) to your doctor soon after your mammogram. Your doctor’s office will then contact you with the results and we’ll also send you a copy of our report in about a week.

Make it fun with a Mammogram Social!

You may have heard about our fun “mammogram socials” — and yes, first-timers are welcome to schedule one! All you need to do is get at least five of your gal pals together — friends, colleagues, family members — to come have their annual screening mammogram with us, after hours. We’ll put out a spread of delicious hors d’oeuvres and liquid refreshments, no extra charge, and take each of you back one at a time to have your mammogram done. It’s great to have the camaraderie of other women before and after your mammogram! For more information, call Cynthia (301-8951) in Anchorage or Tina (717-6513) in the Valley.

First Timer Tips

• If your breasts get tender around your period, avoid scheduling your mammogram for that time.
  
• Do not wear deodorant, lotion, oils or talcum powder.
  
• Wear a comfortable outfit, with a separate top that you can easily slip on and off. (If you forget, we have full robes you can wear instead of just our upper body cape.)
  
• Relax and know that we’ll take good care of you!

And from women who’ve been there before...!

“If you schedule your mammogram appointment first thing in the morning, you can put your deodorant, etc. on AFTER.”

“I’ve found the best time for a mammogram for my tender breasts is a few days after my period.”

“I love Shelly! She makes me laugh. My advice – don’t laugh when she’s trying to shoot the x-ray or you’ll have to do it again.”

“I have really lumpy breasts, but the mammographers have seen it all - and know how to get a good picture.”

“If you have high anxiety, go to YouTube and watch videos of the procedure so you know what to expect...which is basically just getting your breasts x-rayed.”

“You can go during your lunch hour and not miss any work.”

“The fear and anticipation is far worse than the reality. Don’t sweat it!”

“For me, the compression felt similar to getting my blood pressure taken.”

Why choose IAP?

• Friendly and highly experienced female mammographers
  
• Free, easy parking and lots of it
• Non-hospital locations – South Anchorage or Mat-Su Trunk Road
  
• You’ll be in and out in 25 minutes or less
  
• Free shower card (monthly self-check reminder) and other fun stuff
  
• After-hours Mammogram Socials available at no extra charge

Want to learn more?

Visit our mammography and/or women’s imaging pages. For more in-depth information about mammography in general, visit radiologyinfo.org.