The mammography technician who takes the x-rays places the breast between two plastic plates. The plates press the breast and make it flat to take a clear picture. Communicating with the technician regarding your level of discomfort is important to prevent unnecessary pain. If your discomfort is so great that you are considering avoiding your regular mammogram you should consult your physician. Regularly scheduled screening mammograms, together with clinical breast exams, offer the best chance of finding and treating breast cancer early.
Studies show that mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.
The National Cancer Institute recommends that women in their forties and older have mammograms on a regular basis, every 1 to 2 years. NCI funds numerous research projects to improve conventional mammography and develop alternative imaging technologies to detect and characterize breast tumors. Efforts to improve conventional mammography center on refinements of the technology and quality assurance in the administration and interpretation of the X-ray films.