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Mammograms

What is Mammography?

A mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast.

Mammography can detect lumps and other forms of breast disease, including breast cancer, that may be too small to be felt by an experienced examiner. This early detection is your best opportunity for a total cure.

X-ray equipment dedicated exclusively to performing mammograms is used. This allows us to use x-ray levels that are three to nine times lower than normal x-ray levels.

When to Have a Mammogram

The American Cancer Society recommends that women have a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40 and receive a mammogram yearly after age 40. Women at high risk should have mammograms more often. Risk factors for women include:

• Increased age
• If she has never had children
• If she had her first child after age 30
• Cigarette smoking
• High-fat diets

80% of breast cancers occur in women with no risk factors. One in eight American women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Another woman is newly diagnosed with the disease every three minutes.

Three steps to early detection are:

• Breast self exams every month beginning at age 18
• Clinical breast exams by a healthcare professional every three years between the ages of 18 and 39, and every year from age 40
• Screening mammograms annually from age 40

To learn more about mammograms, visit our Health Library.

Mammography Facilities

• Kenmore Mercy Hospital (Kenmore)
• Mercy Ambulatory Care Center (Orchard Park)
• Mercy Diagnostic Center (East Aurora) 
• Mercy Diagnostic and Treatment Center (West Seneca)
• Sisters of Charity Hospital (Buffalo)
• Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus (Cheektowaga)

Becoming a Patient

A prescription from your physician is required. If you do not have a physician, click here to find a physician near you or call our HealthConnection service for a referral. Our representatives may be reached at (716) 447-6205 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Preparing for Your Mammogram

• Menstruation: If you are pre-menopausal, try to schedule your mammogram the week after your period, when your breasts will be the least sensitive. Avoid having your mammogram the week before your period.
• Records: If you have mammography films or images from another hospital or clinic, contact their radiology records department and make arrangements to pick them up prior to your mammogram. You will need to bring these to your appointment.
• Beverages: Avoid caffeinated beverages 48 hours prior to your exam, as caffeine could make your breasts more sensitive.

The Day of Your Mammogram

Do not wear deodorant or any other powders, perfumes or locations under your arms or breast area on the day of your appointment. Residues produced by these items could show up on and interfere with your images.

Wear comfortable clothing to your appointment. Because you will be asked to remove all of your clothes from the waist up, you may wish to dress in two pieces. Gowns will be available for you to wear prior to your exam.

Bring all previous mammography images to your appointment if you had them taken outside the Catholic Health network.

During Your Mammogram

Once in the mammography room, a specially trained breast technician will perform an initial examination of your breasts for abnormalities. She will then position one breast on the X-ray cassette. A soft plastic paddle will compress the breast. This compression is necessary to even out the breast tissue so that the entire breast is X-rayed and small tumors are not obscured by overlapping tissue. Compression also provides better images by reducing motion and X-ray scatter.

The technician will stand behind a glass plate and take the first breast X-ray. She will then reposition you to take a side view of the same breast. The procedure will then be repeated with the other breast, for a total of four X-rays or two of each breast. If your breasts are very large or if you have implants, four X-rays might be taken of each breast.

After Your Mammogram

You may leave immediately following the procedure.

The radiologist will study the mammography images collected and report the results to your physician.

If you are called back for a follow-up breast ultrasound, MRI or additional mammogram views, it means only that the radiologist needs more complete information – it does not indicate that you have breast cancer. Most of the spots detected by mammography are benign.

Insurance

We will bill your insurance company directly. Please bring your insurance card and referral/authorization form on the day of your exam.

More Information

For more information about our imaging/radiology services, call our HealthConnection line at (716) 447-6205 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

To download our mammography services brochure, please click here.