Mammography

Thanks to a rise in routine screening mammograms, more and more breast cancers are being caught in the earliest, most treatable stages.

At Swedish, we offer four Breast Centers and a mobile mammography program for mammograms and virtually every other breast health need. All our locations offer a comfortable environment, a caring and experienced staff, and a wide range of state-of-the-art screening and diagnostic capabilities.

What is a mammogram?

A screening mammogram is a low-dose X-ray used to routinely evaluate a woman’s breast health. It helps doctors see whether there are any abnormalities or changes in the breast tissue that may need to be further explored.

When should I start getting mammograms?

Studies show that the breast X-ray can detect a lump two years before it can be felt and can identify up to 90 percent of breast cancers. That’s why the American Cancer Society recommends that women have the exam done once a year starting at age 40. Women with a family history of breast cancer may be advised by their physician to start earlier than 40.

How do I make an appointment?

For an appointment, call the Swedish Breast Center nearest you. No physician referral is necessary. Locations and Hours

Getting the most accurate results

Still, mammography is not a perfect science. Besides missing about 10 percent of cancers, it has also been known to sound false alarms, sometimes leading to surgical biopsies that later turned out to be unnecessary. Fortunately, there are things women can do to increase their likelihood of an accurate exam. The American Cancer Society recommends the following:

Go to an imaging center that either specializes in mammograms or does many mammograms a day; more experienced centers tend to have better accuracy rates. If you like the center, go there for all future mammograms; this makes it easier to compare your tests from year to year. If you’ve had mammograms someplace else, make every attempt to bring or transfer the previous mammograms to the new center
Don’t wear deodorant; it can look like calcium spots on the X-ray film. Discuss any unusual symptoms with the technologist and doctor and be prepared to discuss your medical history. Meanwhile, other diagnostic tools are now available to help doctors double-check the results of an abnormal mammogram. Ultrasound, for instance, can provide a clearer view of an unusual mass. And there are new alternatives to surgical biopsies, such as very fine needles that can be used to obtain sample breast tissues for further analysis.