When is mammogram recommended for breast cancer?

Mammography uses X-rays to create detailed images of breast tissue. It can show areas that need closer assessment, including calcifications or a mass, but it does not by itself confirm the type of a breast abnormality. Your team may combine it with a clinical examination, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging or a biopsy. The right combination depends on your symptoms, age, breast tissue, prior images and known diagnosis.

Tell the imaging team about breast symptoms, prior mammograms, breast implants, pregnancy possibility and any recent procedures. Wear clothing that is easy to remove from the waist up and avoid deodorant, powder or lotion on the breasts and underarms if the imaging centre gives that instruction. During the examination, each breast is briefly compressed to obtain images. Ask when and how the result will be explained, and keep follow-up appointments even if symptoms change.

Contact your breast team promptly for a new lump, bloody nipple discharge, skin dimpling, a nipple that turns inward newly, or redness and swelling that do not settle. These signs require clinical assessment; they do not establish the cause. Seek urgent care for severe breathlessness, fainting or rapidly worsening illness.

What is the purpose of mammography at this point in my care? Do I need another type of imaging or a biopsy? Which earlier images should the radiologist compare? When will I receive the report, and what follow-up will it require?