Make a habit of scheduling your screening mammogram each year at the same
time you arrange for your regular health checkups.
Experts from the Society of Breast Imaging, the American College of Radiology
and OU Health’s Breast Health Network agree – women 40 and
older should have yearly screening mammograms. You benefit from annual
exams that provide early detection of breast cancer or other breast health issues.
Complete Breast Health Imaging Services Close to Home
For compassionate care and the latest in advanced technology for mammography
and breast imaging services, you can easily move between OU Health’s
Breast Health Network locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond – making
appointments close to your home or work, even on Saturdays – for
fast access to a full range of imaging diagnostic tools, including 3D
mammography, offered at specific network sites.
Take advantage of a full range of OU Health’s breast imaging services such as:
High-risk breast cancer screening and prevention program
Genetic counseling and testing for BRCA1/2 and other genetic mutations
associated with breast cancer, if appropriate
Male breast imaging
Access to clinical trials
OU Health Mobile Mammography Units in Your Area
If you live outside the Oklahoma City metro, you can get OU Health’s
expert breast health care and screening mammograms through one of our
statewide mobile mammography units that travel to your business, town, local hospital or anywhere in Oklahoma.
Bone Density Scan for Osteoporosis
When you arrange for a screening mammogram, you also can schedule a
bone density (DXA) scan at your nearby OU Health Breast Health Network location. The scan uses
dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to check for
osteoporosis, a condition that weakens your bones and makes them more likely to break,
especially as you get older. Learn how to
prepare for a bone density scan.
Digital & 3D Mammography (Tomosynthesis)
Digital mammography captures breast images for display on a computer monitor
rather than X-ray film, which offers enhanced image quality with greater
contrast resolution. At OU Health, if a mammogram indicates a concern,
you will undergo additional testing, including biopsy, and typically get
your results within about 48 hours.
Breast Tomosynthesis
Unlike traditional two-dimensional procedures, 3D breast tomosynthesis
finds breast cancer at its earliest stages by producing a series of thin
slices that “see” through overlapping tissues and provide
high-resolution images of your breasts using about the same amount of
radiation. With greater accuracy, 3D mammography increases lifesaving
early detection and decreases false positives or callbacks for additional
testing, which can greatly ease your mind and save money.
Enhanced Imaging for Dense Breasts
Regardless of your age, if you have dense breasts, you also benefit from
the exceptional detail offered by the digital and 3D imaging services
at OU Health Breast Health Network locations. Greater accuracy in imaging
and diagnosis means fewer follow-up procedures for you. Learn more about
dense breasts.
What to Expect with Digital & 3D Mammography
To help minimize discomfort during your exam, schedule your mammogram during
the two weeks following your menstrual cycle, when breasts are less tender.
Bring a disc or films from any previous mammograms done at a facility other
than an OU Health Breast Health Network location.
Please do not wear deodorant or powders to your mammography appointment.
During Your Appointment
In a private dressing room, you’ll undress from the waist up and
use a gown that opens in the front.
Your technologist asks questions to better understand your history and/or
any problems you may have.
In the mammogram room, your technologist positions you at the scanning
device, which compresses your breast to allow the low-dose X-ray to penetrate
the tissue.
With 3D digital mammography, the scanning device rotates around the breast,
taking multiple views from various angles to create an image.
After your scan, you return to the dressing room and can continue with
regular daily activities.
Breast ultrasound imaging helps to distinguish between solid tumors and
fluid-filled cysts. In addition, breast ultrasound provides more information
about palpable lesions found during a breast self-exam or a breast exam
from your doctor, as well as any abnormalities seen on mammography or
MRI, and allows for image-guided biopsy. Your breast ultrasound at OU
Health uses advanced high-frequency broadband technology for precise imaging.
What to Expect with Breast Ultrasound
You don’t need any special preparation before a breast ultrasound.
During your 15- to 30- minute appointment, expect the following:
In a private dressing room, you’ll undress from the waist up and
use a gown that opens in the front.
Your technologist asks questions to better understand your history and/or
any problems you may have.
You’ll lie down on a table and an application of hypoallergenic,
water-soluble gel on your breast allows the ultrasound to travel through skin.
A small probe passes over the breast surface, creating a painless sensation
of light pressure, and images appear on the ultrasound screen.
After the test, the technologist removes the gel, you return to your dressing
room and you can carry on with your regular activities. Before you leave,
you will discuss your results with an OU Health imaging specialist or doctor.
A breast MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create a computer
image of the breast for detecting breast cancer, evaluating breast implants
and evaluating the extent of known disease.
What to Expect with Breast MRI
Bring all previous imaging items or information about access to films,
pathology reports, mammograms, ultrasounds and MRIs from other breast
imaging facilities. If your doctor prescribed claustrophobia medication
to take before your procedure, make arrangements for someone to bring
you to the Breast Health Network location and take you home. Notify the
facility ahead of time if you have any implantable devices.
Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time and plan for the process
to take about an hour or less.
Eat as usual, but remember you’ll lie face down for the entire scan.
Take all medications as prescribed.
Remove all jewelry/body piercings before the MRI.
During Your Exam – Approximately 15-30 minutes
In a private dressing room, you’ll change into a gown and remove
all metallic objects such as jewelry, body piercings, glasses, hairpins
and removable dentures. Anything that contains metal may distort MRI signals.
The MRI technologist helps position you on your stomach with breasts placed
through two openings on the contoured MRI table.
You get earplugs to help block the machine noise.
Depending on your specific situation, you may receive a contrast-enhancing
agent midway through the scan to help highlight various structures in
the breast tissue.
After your test, you can return to your day’s activities or have
someone take you home.
Learn more about what to expect with breast MRI.
Image-Guided (Core Needle) Breast Biopsy – Nonsurgical
If you or your doctor discover a suspicious lump or if imaging identifies
an abnormality in your breast, you may get a biopsy – a procedure
that samples the area of concern and removes tissue for more testing.
Most biopsies show no malignancy upon examination.
When needed, biopsies determine the presence of cancer or the need for
surgery. Options for biopsy include:
Ultrasound-guided
MRI-guided
Stereotactic breast biopsy / tomosynthesis-guided – Noninvasive visual
imaging technologies to guide instruments and examine difficult-to-reach areas
Although uncommon, inherited BRCA1/2 (BReast CAncer) gene mutations and
other mutations associated with breast cancer account for about five percent
of breast cancers and about 10-15 percent of ovarian cancers. You may
receive the BRCA1/2 gene test only if your personal or family history
shows an inherited mutation or if you have a specific type of breast cancer.
Women at average risk of breast and ovarian cancers do not routinely receive
this genetic test.
The test examines a number of genes for an inherited BRCA gene mutation
and provides an estimate of your personal risk for breast cancer and ovarian
cancer. The testing process also involves valuable genetic counseling.
High-Risk Breast Cancer Assessment & Diagnostic Services
Empower yourself to make sound decisions about your breast health by taking
a no-cost assessment that helps determine your individual risk of developing
breast cancer.
During your risk assessment interview, an OU Health breast health specialist
asks about your family and personal health history, including any family
history of cancer, and develops recommendations for specific screenings
and tests that fit your particular situation. If you qualify for high-risk
screening, you’ll join a risk-based surveillance program that combines
mammography, ultrasound and/or MRI to monitor your breast health.
You also gain access to clinical experts who discuss chemoprevention options
and a number of prevention trials through the Stephenson Cancer Center.
Your Mammography & Breast Imaging Team
Count on OU Health’s Breast Health Network to connect you with highly
regarded board-certified and fellowship-trained breast radiologists who
apply their years of education, skill and experience to interpreting your
breast imaging results. Whether your screening takes place at one of our
Oklahoma City metro locations or through our mobile mammography units,
you receive accurate information and compassionate guidance to support
your health and help you take your next steps.
Get a bone density test, too
When you schedule your annual mammogram through your preferred OU Health
Breast Health Network location, ask about also scheduling a bone density
test to check for osteoporosis and make your visit even more productive.
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