Mammography Mammography Breast cancer is a close second to lung cancer as the leading cancer killer of women in Canada. In 1997, it was estimated that there were 18,400 new cases and 5,100 deaths from breast cancer. The objective of mammography is to find cancers of the breast in the earliest possible stages of development. The rationale is that the earlier the cancer is found, the more effective is the treatment. Also, with early detection the need for radical surgery or radiation therapy, with their adverse side effects, can be minimized, resulting in a better quality of life.
All data clearly show that for any woman, the risk of getting breast cancer does increase with age.
Mammography is an imaging technique that uses X-rays to provide a picture of the internal structure of the breast. There are two kinds of mammograms - diagnostic and screening . Although the procedure is the same for both, the reasons for having them are different. Diagnostic mammograms are requested by a doctor when there is a suspicion of breast cancer. This suspicion could come from the discovery of a lump in the breast after self- examination or medical examination.