1 out of 8 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center recommends yearly mammograms starting at age 40. Routine mammography saves lives, reducing a woman's risk of dying from breast cancer by 30 - 50 percent.
In this important segment, Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD., answers the question "can I get a mammogram if?"
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Can I Get a Mammogram If…?
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Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD
Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD is Clinical Chief, Breast Imaging Section, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.Learn more about Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD
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Can I Get a Mammogram If…?
Bill Klaproth (Host): It seems there are no shortage of questions when it comes to mammograms. You have questions? Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has answers. So, can I get a mammogram if? Here to answer those questions is Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, Clinical Chief Breast Imaging Section, Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Thank you for your time Dr. Bonaccio. So, can I get a mammogram if? Are you ready?
Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD (Guest): Yes, I’m ready.
Bill: Oh, fantastic. Alright, here are common questions you might get from a woman. Here we go. Can I get a mammogram if I am under forty?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, for most women, who are at average risk for breast cancer, we recommend starting annual screening mammography at age forty. Having a mammogram every year beginning at age forty saves the most lives. So, that is the standard recommendation. That being said, there are exceptions where you may have a mammogram younger than forty. For example, if you are at high risk for breast cancer; especially if you have a strong family history of breast cancer and the women in your family who have been diagnosed, we diagnosed at a young age; we might start at an age younger than forty, but this is done in consultation with your physician or with a breast specialist who is an expert in high risk patients. The other situation where you may have a mammogram if you are less than forty; if you have some clinical symptoms. If you feel a lump, or have discharge; something is not quite right, then if you are - you should be evaluated with a mammogram and or ultrasound. If you are less than thirty and you have a lump or some abnormality; we actually start with an ultrasound before we even do a mammogram. So, you can have a mammogram if you are less than forty for specific reasons. But routine mammography is recommended at age forty - starting at age forty.
Bill: Alright. Very good. Asked and answered. Here’s another one. Can I get a mammogram if I am breast feeding?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, again, if you are over forty and you are due for your screening mammography, you can have a mammogram and you can still breastfeed. The x-rays go through your breast to create the image. They don’t stay in your breast and they don’t affect your breast milk. However, breastfeeding does make your breasts more dense and the mammogram less sensitive. So, oftentimes, we will talk with the patient and if they are going to be breastfeeding for another year, then we may go ahead and do the mammogram, knowing it is a little bit less sensitive; but if they are going to stop in a month or two, we will often have them wait until they are done breastfeeding in order to have their routine mammogram. However, if there is an abnormality, if the woman who is breastfeeding feels a lump; we don’t delay doing the mammogram. We go ahead and do the mammogram and like I said, it doesn’t affect the breast milk.
Bill: Okay. Here’s another one. Can I get a mammogram if I’m pregnant?
Dr. Bonaccio: We don’t recommend routine screening mammograms while a woman is pregnant. If a woman feels a lump while she’s pregnant; we will start the evaluation with an ultrasound which doesn’t have any x-ray, there is no radiation exposure. And most of the time, that is all the patient will need. There are many benign things that can occur during pregnancy that we can tell that’s what it is with the ultrasound alone. However, if we are not sure what the lump is or if the lump is suspicious on the ultrasound; we often do then do a mammogram. We will shield the woman’s abdomen with a lead shield and the truth is that the dose to the baby is so very low, it’s not significant. We always try to minimize any exposure, but if it is medically necessary, that would be the only time we would do it.
Bill: Alright. Answering your common mammogram questions. Can I get a mammogram if I have implants?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, yes, you can get a mammogram if you have implants. The recommendation if you are at average risk that you start at age forty is not changed. The mammogram you get if you have implants is a little bit different. We take one set of pictures with the implant in the image and then we take a second set of pictures where the technologist displaces the implant back so that we are just imaging the tissue in front of the implant. We do this because when we take the picture with the implant in place, we can’t compress as much as we usually do, because obviously we don’t want to rupture the implant. But we don’t oftentimes get enough compression doing it this way so we also take that extra picture. We see a little bit less tissue, we can’t get all the tissue on, but we compress that tissue better so that we can make sure we are really looking through the breast tissue to find a cancer.
Bill: Alright. Can I get a mammogram if I have my period?
Dr. Bonaccio: Yes. You can definitely get your mammogram if you have your period. For some women, it is a time in their cycle where their breasts may be more sensitive and tender, which could make the mammogram more difficult for them. If you are a person who experiences that, a lot of breast tenderness during their menstrual period; then we do suggest you try to schedule your screening mammogram during a different type of your cycle. Not because it affects how good the mammogram is; but it affects how comfortable the mammogram will be for you as the patient.
Bill: Alright. Dr. Bonaccio. Two more. Can I wear deodorant to my mammogram?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, this used to be a standard recommendation. Even when I first started doing breast imaging; which actually was over twenty years ago. Everyone was told they couldn’t wear deodorant. And that was because deodorant can show up on a mammogram and we were concerned that we would confuse that with calcium deposits or it would somehow hide calcium deposits which can sometimes be a very early sign of breast cancer. It turns out, we learned that we can definitely tell deodorant from these calcium deposits, especially as our knowledge and the technology has gotten better. Although people still think they can’t wear deodorant for their mammogram, you can most definitely wear deodorant for your mammogram and here at Roswell, we have taken that recommendation out of all of our paperwork that we send patients ahead of time.
Bill: Alright. Very good and last one Dr. Bonnacio; can I have caffeine before my mammogram?
Dr. Bonnacio: So, this is another recommendation from many years ago that seems to have stuck. It was thought that caffeine can increase fibrocystic change in your breasts and increase pain and tenderness for women so therefore, it would make that mammogram harder to read and also make it more uncomfortable because of the breast tenderness. There really has been no scientific evidence to support this. So, what I tell women is you can have caffeine. If you have ever noticed that having caffeine makes your breasts tender and you want to stop before your mammogram, just to make it more comfortable; then go ahead, but there is no reason really other than that personal one for you to stop caffeine the day of your mammogram or before your mammogram.
Bill: Alright. You have mammogram questions; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has answers. Dr. Bonaccio, thank you for answering all of these important can I get a mammogram if questions today. We appreciate it. For more information, you can visit roswellpark.org. That’s roswellpark.org. You are listening to Cancer Talk with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Can I Get a Mammogram If…?
Bill Klaproth (Host): It seems there are no shortage of questions when it comes to mammograms. You have questions? Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has answers. So, can I get a mammogram if? Here to answer those questions is Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, Clinical Chief Breast Imaging Section, Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Thank you for your time Dr. Bonaccio. So, can I get a mammogram if? Are you ready?
Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, MD (Guest): Yes, I’m ready.
Bill: Oh, fantastic. Alright, here are common questions you might get from a woman. Here we go. Can I get a mammogram if I am under forty?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, for most women, who are at average risk for breast cancer, we recommend starting annual screening mammography at age forty. Having a mammogram every year beginning at age forty saves the most lives. So, that is the standard recommendation. That being said, there are exceptions where you may have a mammogram younger than forty. For example, if you are at high risk for breast cancer; especially if you have a strong family history of breast cancer and the women in your family who have been diagnosed, we diagnosed at a young age; we might start at an age younger than forty, but this is done in consultation with your physician or with a breast specialist who is an expert in high risk patients. The other situation where you may have a mammogram if you are less than forty; if you have some clinical symptoms. If you feel a lump, or have discharge; something is not quite right, then if you are - you should be evaluated with a mammogram and or ultrasound. If you are less than thirty and you have a lump or some abnormality; we actually start with an ultrasound before we even do a mammogram. So, you can have a mammogram if you are less than forty for specific reasons. But routine mammography is recommended at age forty - starting at age forty.
Bill: Alright. Very good. Asked and answered. Here’s another one. Can I get a mammogram if I am breast feeding?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, again, if you are over forty and you are due for your screening mammography, you can have a mammogram and you can still breastfeed. The x-rays go through your breast to create the image. They don’t stay in your breast and they don’t affect your breast milk. However, breastfeeding does make your breasts more dense and the mammogram less sensitive. So, oftentimes, we will talk with the patient and if they are going to be breastfeeding for another year, then we may go ahead and do the mammogram, knowing it is a little bit less sensitive; but if they are going to stop in a month or two, we will often have them wait until they are done breastfeeding in order to have their routine mammogram. However, if there is an abnormality, if the woman who is breastfeeding feels a lump; we don’t delay doing the mammogram. We go ahead and do the mammogram and like I said, it doesn’t affect the breast milk.
Bill: Okay. Here’s another one. Can I get a mammogram if I’m pregnant?
Dr. Bonaccio: We don’t recommend routine screening mammograms while a woman is pregnant. If a woman feels a lump while she’s pregnant; we will start the evaluation with an ultrasound which doesn’t have any x-ray, there is no radiation exposure. And most of the time, that is all the patient will need. There are many benign things that can occur during pregnancy that we can tell that’s what it is with the ultrasound alone. However, if we are not sure what the lump is or if the lump is suspicious on the ultrasound; we often do then do a mammogram. We will shield the woman’s abdomen with a lead shield and the truth is that the dose to the baby is so very low, it’s not significant. We always try to minimize any exposure, but if it is medically necessary, that would be the only time we would do it.
Bill: Alright. Answering your common mammogram questions. Can I get a mammogram if I have implants?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, yes, you can get a mammogram if you have implants. The recommendation if you are at average risk that you start at age forty is not changed. The mammogram you get if you have implants is a little bit different. We take one set of pictures with the implant in the image and then we take a second set of pictures where the technologist displaces the implant back so that we are just imaging the tissue in front of the implant. We do this because when we take the picture with the implant in place, we can’t compress as much as we usually do, because obviously we don’t want to rupture the implant. But we don’t oftentimes get enough compression doing it this way so we also take that extra picture. We see a little bit less tissue, we can’t get all the tissue on, but we compress that tissue better so that we can make sure we are really looking through the breast tissue to find a cancer.
Bill: Alright. Can I get a mammogram if I have my period?
Dr. Bonaccio: Yes. You can definitely get your mammogram if you have your period. For some women, it is a time in their cycle where their breasts may be more sensitive and tender, which could make the mammogram more difficult for them. If you are a person who experiences that, a lot of breast tenderness during their menstrual period; then we do suggest you try to schedule your screening mammogram during a different type of your cycle. Not because it affects how good the mammogram is; but it affects how comfortable the mammogram will be for you as the patient.
Bill: Alright. Dr. Bonaccio. Two more. Can I wear deodorant to my mammogram?
Dr. Bonaccio: So, this used to be a standard recommendation. Even when I first started doing breast imaging; which actually was over twenty years ago. Everyone was told they couldn’t wear deodorant. And that was because deodorant can show up on a mammogram and we were concerned that we would confuse that with calcium deposits or it would somehow hide calcium deposits which can sometimes be a very early sign of breast cancer. It turns out, we learned that we can definitely tell deodorant from these calcium deposits, especially as our knowledge and the technology has gotten better. Although people still think they can’t wear deodorant for their mammogram, you can most definitely wear deodorant for your mammogram and here at Roswell, we have taken that recommendation out of all of our paperwork that we send patients ahead of time.
Bill: Alright. Very good and last one Dr. Bonnacio; can I have caffeine before my mammogram?
Dr. Bonnacio: So, this is another recommendation from many years ago that seems to have stuck. It was thought that caffeine can increase fibrocystic change in your breasts and increase pain and tenderness for women so therefore, it would make that mammogram harder to read and also make it more uncomfortable because of the breast tenderness. There really has been no scientific evidence to support this. So, what I tell women is you can have caffeine. If you have ever noticed that having caffeine makes your breasts tender and you want to stop before your mammogram, just to make it more comfortable; then go ahead, but there is no reason really other than that personal one for you to stop caffeine the day of your mammogram or before your mammogram.
Bill: Alright. You have mammogram questions; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has answers. Dr. Bonaccio, thank you for answering all of these important can I get a mammogram if questions today. We appreciate it. For more information, you can visit roswellpark.org. That’s roswellpark.org. You are listening to Cancer Talk with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.