What is a bilateral digital mammogram?
What is a bilateral digital mammogram?
The difference is that with 2-D mammograms, images are only taken from the front and side – which may create images of overlapping breast tissue – while 3-D mammography renders images of the breast in multiple “slices” from various angles. This makes it easier to find potentially worrisome abnormalities.
What is a bilateral diagnostic?
Bilateral diagnostic mammograms may be ordered if abnormalities are detected in both breasts during a screening mammogram, or if a lump or another symptom is felt during a breast exam. In these cases, the diagnostic mammogram can be used to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of breast cancer.
What’s the difference between a regular mammogram and a diagnostic mammogram?
A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. While screening mammograms are routinely administered to detect breast cancer in women who have no apparent symptoms, diagnostic mammograms are used after suspicious results on a screening mammogram or after some signs of breast cancer alert the physician to check the tissue.
Why do I need a bilateral mammogram?
Bilateral mammography is justified as a follow-up to a focused evaluation in some patients. If a mass is confirmed malignant, the woman enters a higher risk demographic group and needs the asymptomatic breast screened before definitive therapy to preoperatively stage the tumor and search for additional primaries.
How painful is digital mammography?
The compression can make a mammogram painful for some women, but for most it is mildly uncomfortable, and the sensation lasts for just a short time.
How accurate is a diagnostic mammogram?
Breast cancer is accurately diagnosed through mammography in about 78% of all women tested, while diagnostic accuracy rises to about 83% for women over 50. Today’s greatly improved mammograms can usually detect breast abnormalities before they can be felt in a breast exam.
How long does it take to get results from a diagnostic mammogram?
You can usually expect the results of a screening mammogram within two weeks.
What happens after a diagnostic mammogram?
Follow-up tests Sometimes, a follow-up mammogram (diagnostic mammogram) or breast ultrasound is done. If the finding doesn’t look like breast cancer (for example, it’s a cyst), no further testing is needed and you return to your regular schedule of breast cancer screening with mammograms and clinical breast exams.
Is a diagnostic mammogram the same as an ultrasound?
A mammogram uses a low dose of radiation to take an image of the breast. The tissue is compressed between two plates in order for the best image to be taken. An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves and converts them to an image.
