Mammography Health Article

Patient education

The mammography technologist must be empathetic to the patient's modesty and anxiety. He or she must explain that compression is necessary to improve the quality of the image but does not harm the breasts. Patients will be very anxious when additional films are requested. Explaining that an extra view will give the radiologist more information will help to eases the patient's tension. One in eight women in North America will develop breast cancer. Educating the public on monthly breast self-examinations and yearly mammograms will help in achieving an early diagnosis and therefore a better cure.

KEY TERMS

Breast biopsy—A procedure where suspicious tissue is removed and examined by a pathologist for cancer or other disease. The breast tissue may be obtained by open surgery, or through a needle.

Craniocaudal—Head to tail, x-ray beam directly overhead the part being examined.

Radiographically dense—An abundance of glandular tissue, which results in diminished film detail.

PERIODICALS

Carmen, Ricard, R. T. R. Mammography: Techniques and Difficulties. O.T.R.Q., 1999.

Gagnon, Gilbert. Radioprotection in Mammography. O.T.R.Q., 1999.

Ouimet, Guylaine, R. T. R. Mammography: Quality Control. O.T.R.Q., 1999.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Cancer Society (ACS), 1599 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329. (800) ACS-2345. <http://www.cancer.org>.

Federal Drug Administration (FDA), 5600 Fishers Ln., Rockville, MD 20857. (800) 532-4440. <http://www.fda.gov>.

National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Cancer Information Service (CIS), Office of Cancer Communications, Bldg. 31, Room 10A16, Bethesda, MD 20892. (800) 4-CANCER (800) 422-6237. Fax: (800) 624-2511 or (301) 402-5874. <http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov>, cancermail@cips.nci.nih.gov.

Lorraine K. Ehresman