General anesthesia is rarely used for breast biopsies. Because results of the biopsy so profoundly affect the treatment a woman will receive, the NCCN guidelines recommend you get a second opinion, called a pathology review. You can ask your doctor to send the microscope slides containing thin slices of tissue to an NCCN or other major cancer center. Radiologists look to mammography as an important tool for early detection of breast cancer and to better define breast masses. Even if one breast has an obvious lump and the other feels normal, doctors must take x-rays of both breasts to make sure no other tumors are present.
Technicians use a special x-ray machine to take a mammogram.
The breast is placed on the machine's lower plate, which is made of metal and has a drawer to hold the x-ray film. The upper plate, made of clear plastic, is lowered to compress the breast for a few seconds as the technician goes to the control panel and takes the picture. Screening mammography, with its top-down and side views, is used for the early detection of breast cancer in women without any breast symptoms. Diagnostic mammography, with multiple views, helps characterize breast masses or determine the cause of other breast symptoms. Radiologists sometimes employ this painless method to distinguish fluid-filled cysts from solid tumors.