mammography
Last reviewed 06/2022
Mammography is a non-invasive radiographic procedure which enables the entire breast tissue to be examined. It is most often used for the diagnosis or screening of breast cancer.
Malignancy may be indicated by:
- spiculated lesions with ill-defined margins
- asymmetric areas of density and distortion
- skin thickening
- circumscribed lesions with well or poorly defined margins
- calcifications - variable in size, distribution, form, or density
However:
- approximately 5% of clinically palpable carcinomas are not detectable
- the method is less accurate in women below the age of 35 years, whom have more dense breasts
- successive mammograms incur a cumulative radiation dose which in itself may be carcinogenic
mammographic prognostic indicators in small tumours
frequency of follow-up breast imaging following early invasive breast cancer