Five Things to Know about Mammography Video – Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Mammography. Catherine S. Giess, MD, Section Head, Division of Breast Imaging at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explains what women need to know about mammography.

When should you begin mammography screening?

The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging recommend annual mammography screening beginning at age 40. The American Cancer Society recently issued updated guidelines, in which they recommend that women from 40 to 44 years have the option to start screening mammography annually, after a discussion with their doctor.

From 45 to 54, women should have annual mammography.
From 55 onward, women should have every other year mammography and continue as long as they're in good health.

What is 3D mammography?

3D mammography, or digital breast tomosynthesis, is a new technique that's been available for the last several years in which the x-ray tube, rather than taking one exposure, moves in an arc over the patient, acquiring many small exposures as it goes through the breast tissue. So instead of having two images of each breast, hundreds of images of the breast are acquired. This allows radiologists to scroll through the data set and separate out overlapping tissue, and potentially see cancers that are hidden. 3D mammography or tomosynthesis is particularly helpful in imaging dense breast tissue.

What do the results mean?

A BI-RAD score, from one to five, is assigned to every mammography report. The BI-RAD score was created by the American College of Radiology and it stands for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. It’s an attempt to categorize mammogram findings. BI-RAD categories 1 and 2 mean that the results are negative and benign respectively. Category 3 means there’s a finding on the mammogram which is likely to be benign but should be monitored for changes. Categories 4 and 5 indicate there’s something suspicious on the mammogram which may merit a biopsy to exclude cancer.

Learn more about breast imaging services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital: