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Mammography

Samaritan Mammography Services offers the latest equipment for early detection of breast cancer. You'll also find friendly, sensitive staff that will help prepare you for your exam and answer any questions you might have.

Samaritan Mammography Services is Benton County's only mammography screening facility. If you are eligible for a screening mammogram but are unable to pay, scholarships are available through the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation.

What is Mammography?

Mammography is an X-ray exam, which uses low doses of radiation to detect breast cancer before it can be felt by you or your physician. Breast cancer can develop from tiny particles and masses less than one centimeter in diameter. Mammography is the most reliable means of detecting the cancer at its earliest stage, when it is highly curable.

Although there has been some debate about the effects of radiation on the breast, recent innovations and technological advances in mammography equipment have decreased radiation exposure significantly. There can be no question that the potentially life-saving benefit of mammography far outweighs the risk of being exposed to a small amount of radiation.

Mammography Guidelines

The American Cancer Society recommends the following examination schedule:

• Age 40 and over: A mammogram every year.

How to Prepare For The Exam

Do not use deodorant, powder, perfume or lotion on your breasts or underarm area before your mammogram. These substances sometimes leave a residue which may be detected by X-rays and affect the outcome of the exam. Dress comfortably in slacks or a skirt. On the day of the exam, plan to arrive at least 10 minutes early.

The Mammogram

You will be escorted to a dressing room where you will be asked to undress above the waist and put on a gown. A specially trained female technologist will perform the mammogram.

Your breast will be placed on the film and under a compression paddle. The paddle will flatten your breast to expose as much of the tissue as possible. This part of the exam might feel uncomfortable, but should not be painful.

Both breasts will be X-rayed from the top and from the side. The images will be evaluated by the radiologist (a physician who specializes in reading X-rays), a report will be sent to your personal physician and you will receive a letter in the mail.

Breast Self Examination

Mammography should always be used in conjunction with monthly breast self-examination. Even with mammography, approximately 90 percent of all breast cancers are still discovered by women themselves through self-examination. The exam should be performed about one week after you have finished your menstrual cycle, when your breasts are least tender. If you are no longer menstruating, select a specific time each month when breasts are not tender.

The specific technique for breast self-examination is demonstrated on videotapes here in our breast center. In addition to your own monthly examinations, a physician should examine your breasts every three years from age 20 to 40, and every year after age 40.

Breast Cancer Information

One in every eight American women will develop breast cancer. Those at particular risk of developing the disease are women who:

• Are over age 50
• Have a family history of breast cancer or benign breast disease
• Have never had children
• Had their first child after age 30
• Began menstruating before age 13
• Began menopause after age 50
• Are more than 10 percent overweight

For An Appointment

Call 768-5060 to schedule a mammography appointment. The best time to schedule a mammogram is one week after you have completed your menstrual cycle or when your breasts are least tender. If your breasts tend to be sensitive, avoid caffeine for about 7 to 10 days before the mammography.

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