Mammography

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray of your breasts. It can detect many breast changes that are too small or too deep to feel. Today’s mammograms are considered safe, quick, and relatively painless. They are available through a doctor’s order.

Choctaw Memorial Hospital’s mammography program is accredited by the American College of Radiology. They evaluate mammography units for equipment, quality, staff qualifications, quality of image, and amount of patient exposure to radiation.

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer that you as a woman may have to face in your lifetime (excluding skin cancer). It can occur at any age, but it is much more likely to occur after age 40 and as you get older.

Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health. The American Society also recommends that all women in their 20s and 30s have a breast exam by a doctor as part of their regular health checkups at least once every three years and every year after age 40. Women at increase risk (for example, those with a family history, genetic tendency, or past breast cancer) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of starting mammograms earlier.