M ammograms are capable of finding breast cancer two to three years before it becomes manifest as a palpable lump. These early tumors are typically curable by local removal and radiation treatment without the need for mastectomy. W ith increasing frequency women are now availing themselves of regular mammography as the value of this examination becomes increasingly apparent to health care providers and to the lay public. Both the American College of Radiology and the Federal Food and Drug Administration implementing the provisions of the 1994 Mammography Quality Standard Act have established rigid criteria to ensure the compliance of all mammography facilities in the United States with standards of technical and interpretive performance. This helps to ensure American women that their mammography examination is performed and interpreted in accordance with established quality measurements.
T here are many radiologists in the United States who specialize in mammography and breast imaging.
These individuals by virtue of their particular interest and expertise in this field of medical imaging generally provide examinations and interpretations of the highest quality. These radiologists are usually members of the Society of Breast Imaging. Those with outstanding achievements in this field are awarded the designation Fellow of the Society. E ven under the most optimal circumstances, however, both the art and science of mammography are not perfect. The signs of early breast cancer on mammograms are frequently subtle and there is a significant overlap between mammographic findings which reflect a benign process and those which are a harbinger of malignancy.