Iowa Radiology Blog

Radiation comes in many forms, and we’re exposed to it every day. At low levels, radiation exposure is not a cause for concern; it’s simply a fact of life. Exposure to high levels of radiation, on the other hand, can cause severe health effects and even death. When you’re considering a medical procedure that involves radiation, it makes sense to weigh the potential risk to your health against the benefit it can provide. Let’s look at what you should know about radiation in mammograms.

Breast cancer screening is constantly evolving. Since mammography began to work its way into women’s health care in the 1950s, advances in technology have made it both safer and more effective. Today, women have more choices than ever for early detection of breast cancer. In this article, we will explore two different types of mammography: traditional two-dimensional mammography and breast tomosynthesis, more commonly known as 3-D mammography.

Since 2017, Iowa law has required mammography providers to include information about breast density in mammography reports. You may have questions about what this information means for you, your health, and the effectiveness of your breast cancer screening.

Approximately one in eight women (12.5%) develops breast cancer in her lifetime. Because of the prevalence of breast cancer in women, doctors and medical associations recommend screening—looking for signs of disease when no symptoms are present. Mammography has been the gold standard of breast cancer detection for decades and remains a critical component of routine screening. Other technologies, however, can be valuable supplements—or in some cases, even replacements—for screening mammography.

Receiving a call after a screening mammogram is a source of worry for many women. While it’s natural to be concerned, it’s helpful to keep in mind that the vast majority of women who are called back for follow up after a mammogram (more than 9 in 10) are not found to have breast cancer.[1] This is because there are a number of benign conditions that can raise the suspicion of breast cancer when they appear on mammography images. To determine whether a feature found on a mammogram is actually cancer, your doctor will order follow-up testing.

Dating back to the 1970s, the use of mammography in breast cancer screening has proven to save lives. Breast cancer screening has evolved dramatically, however, since those early days of direct-exposure film and the need for high radiation doses. Refinements in technique and technology have enabled doctors to successfully detect and treat more cancers at earlier stages, using less radiation than in the past.[1] Today, radiologists have multiple effective tools available for identifying breast cancers as early as possible to give patients the best chance of recovery.

Iowa Radiology is proud to announce the arrival of abbreviated breast MRI, the latest advance in breast cancer screening technology. Breast MRI allows radiologists to more accurately detect early-stage breast cancers, especially in patients with dense breasts. However, traditional breast MRI comes with a high cost that insurance companies typically cover only for patients who are at significantly elevated risk of breast cancer. The abbreviated breast MRI exam is much quicker and less expensive than a traditional MRI, but it can detect even very small cancers with similar accuracy.

Although it’s important to be aware of changes in your body—particularly if they may indicate cancer—it’s also important to realize that our bodies go through plenty of normal, healthy changes throughout our lives. For women, these often include changes in breast shape and texture.

What is thermography?

Also known as digital infrared imaging, thermography is a procedure that uses an infrared camera to produce images that show patterns of heat, including blood flow, at or near the skin’s surface. These images are often used to locate potential sources of disease, such as infections, tumors, and cardiovascular issues.

Mammography has come a long way since a few radiologists began using it to identify breast cancer in the 1950s.[1] From the development and refinement of screen film technology through the 1980s to digital mammography at the turn of the century and modern low-dose 3-D imaging, the steady march of technological improvements has enabled doctors to identify and treat breast cancer at earlier stages and facilitate better outcomes.[2]