Mammograms: What to Know Before Your First (or Twentieth!)

Milestone birthdays come with new rights and responsibilities. At 18, we can vote; at 21, we can drink; and at 40, women can get their first mammogram. Adding a potentially stressful cancer screening to your yearly to-do list (on top of everything else women manage) doesn't sound like much of a gift — but getting a mammogram is crucial to detecting breast cancer early, when it's easier to treat. In this episode, we explore what getting a mammogram (and the potential dreaded callback) is really like so you can feel confident about your first, fifth or twentieth.
 
Expert: Dr. Ainel Sewell, Breast Imaging Radiologist

Notable topics covered: 

• Why mammogram is the gold standard for detecting breast cancer 
• When (and how often) you should get a mammogram — and the criteria to start before age 40 
• The surprising conditions a mammogram can detect besides breast cancer 
• Know before you go: the time commitment, prep and whether you should schedule around your period   
• What a mammogram is like — from the time you step into the waiting room until the time you leave 
• How painful is getting a mammogram, really? 
• Do women with breast implants need to approach mammograms differently? 
• Is it common to get a callback — or be recalled — after your first mammogram? 
• Why consistency is key with mammograms (including where you get one) 
• You get a callback. How that "callback" appointment may go and the additional imaging that may be needed 
• You discover you have dense breast tissue or a benign breast condition. What's next? 
• What to expect if something suspicious is detected and you need a biopsy  
• Anxious or nervous about a mammogram? Why you're in good hands at a breast center 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.