Myths and Facts About Mammograms

You’re ready for your first mammogram, or maybe it’s your next one. Suddenly, you’re not sure. The entire process seems rather barbaric. After all, no other cancer screening demands that you squish sensitive tissue between heavy metal plates.

Although mammograms are admittedly slightly uncomfortable, they’re not dangerous. In fact, they’re your most reliable method for detecting breast cancers at an early enough stage to be treated and possibly cured. 

At Mass Medical Imaging, our expert physicians, Joseph Calandra, MD, and Karen Mass, MD, recommend regular mammograms for most women starting at ages 40-45. We offer screening and diagnostic mammograms, as well as breast ultrasound. 

What are the myths and facts about mammograms? The following are a few of the most common.

Myth: The radiation from mammograms causes breast cancer

False: Mammograms use low doses of radiation to create the black-and-white X-ray images that your technician and doctor use to determine if you have areas of concern in your breast. If so, these must be further evaluated. 

The total dose of radiation for each 2D mammogram is very low: about 0.4 millisieverts (mSv) for two views of two breasts. A 3D mammogram may be slightly higher or lower in density.

In the United States, every woman, man, and child receives approximately three mSv of radiation per year from their environment. In other words, you get about the same amount of radiation from walking around and living during 7 weeks as you do when you have an annual mammogram.

Myth: Mammogram compression spreads cancer

False: Some women, if they do have breast cancer, believe compressing the breast during a mammogram will cause the cancer cells to spread. Compression is necessary to ensure that all of your breast tissue is visible in the final image.

However, if you worry that mammogram compression can rupture a cancerous tumor and spread cancer cells throughout your body, there’s simply no evidence that this could happen. In some instances, compression could cause a benign cyst to rupture. If you have breast implants, the technician must adjust pressure to avoid rupturing those, too. 

But no metastatic cancer has been traced back to breast tumors that were compressed during mammograms. In fact, an early study found no evidence of spread after mammograms, even in women with a high likelihood of breast cancer. 

Myth: Mammograms lead to over-treatment

Sometimes true: Mammograms sometimes show a false positive. If your mammogram identifies a potential breast cancer, your doctor may recommend a simple surgery called a biopsy, where they remove the lump and then analyze it for the presence of cancer cells.

However, at Mass Medical Imaging, we rarely move to biopsy after a single mammogram. We order diagnostic mammograms, where appropriate, to get more and closer views of the area of concern. We may also order a breast ultrasound.

Sometimes we may identify a breast cancer — such as an invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ — that doesn’t need treatment. You could live with that tumor for the rest of your normal lifespan, and it wouldn’t grow or metastasize (i.e., spread).

The problem is that no technology presently exists that can distinguish between tumors that will spread and those that won’t. In cases where we find a tumor that may not spread, we still treat it, just to keep you safe.

Although that’s technically considered “over treatment,” it’s still a rare occurrence. Only 1-10% of breast cancers could fall into this category. 

Myth: Mammograms are sometimes wrong 

Sometimes true: Though rare, false positives are more common in younger women, who tend to have dense breasts. Also rare, false negatives occur in about half of women who have regular mammograms over a 10-year period. However, no other screening modality is as accurate or precise as a mammogram.

Are you confused by the myths and rumors about mammograms? Call our knowledgeable team to discuss if you’d benefit from regular mammograms by calling our office today. You can also use our online appointment form.