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 In this section:

        Mammography Quality Standards Act and Program

Consumer Information (MQSA)

                        
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          Mammography Quality Standards Act and Program
          Consumer Information (MQSA)Mammography Quality Standards Act and Program Consumer Information (MQSA)
  	
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More than 8,700 FDA-certified facilities nationwide work to uphold the goal of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 as amended in 1998 and 2004 (PDF): to ensure the safety and reliability of mammography and help detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.

To legally perform mammography, a facility must be FDA certified and must post their certificate where patients can see it. To find a mammography facility in your area, please Search for a Certified Facility.

In reauthorizing MQSA, Congress mandated that facilities must send a report in lay language that summarizes the exam results to ALL patients within 30 days of the mammogram (patients who do not have a health care provider must also receive the mammographic report within 30 days). When the mammography report assessment is "Suspicious" or "Highly suggestive of malignancy," the lay summary results and recommended course of action must be communicated as soon as possible. This notification requirement went into effect on April 28, 1999.

The MQSA regulations also require that all facilities have a system place to address consumer complaints. FDA expects that most complaints can be resolved at the facility level. However, if a complaint cannot be resolved, the consumer should communicate with the facility's accreditation body. The name of the accreditation body is on the facility's MQSA Certificate. More information about the consumer complaint mechanism may be found in the Consumer Complaint section of the Policy Guidance Help System.

Breast Implant Information
This site contains information about breast implants.

Mammography-related questions that are frequently asked of the Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) as well as questions about Digital Mammography are included in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

The "Other Resources" area has more information about the National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Information Service, The National Women's Health Information Service, and other resources, including links to those sites.

Related Links

FDA Safety Notification: Mammography Problems at Huntington Radiology in Huntington Park, California [ARCHIVED]

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      08/30/2018
                  
                   
Regulated Product(s)
		 Radiation-Emitting ProductsConsumer Information (MQSA)                
                          

                        Search for a Certified Facility
          Consumer Information (MQSA):  CMS Reimbursement Issues
          Frequently Asked Questions About MQSA
          MQSA:  General Interest Articles
          MQSA:  Other Resources
 
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