4.0.4
Before you get a mammogram, make sure you are getting it at a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved location such as a clinic, doctor’s office, hospital, mammogram van.
Be sure to ask if the location you have chosen meets the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). MQSA, is a national law that approves all of the places where you can get a mammogram.
The FDA MQSA also makes sure that all of the people who work there have the right training and education, including the people who:
• Test the equipment to make sure it’s working
• Take your mammogram
• Study your mammogram
If You Have Breast Implants, What About a Mammogram:
• When you make your appointment, make sure to say that you have breast implants.
• If the clinic doesn’t accept patients with implants, ask them for the name and phone number of one that does.
• When you get to your appointment, remind the staff that you have implants.
• You will need a person who is trained to X-ray women with implants. Implants can hide breast
tissue and make it harder to find
problems.
What is Digital Mammography and Who Should Have It?
A regular mammogram is viewed on X-ray film. A digital mammogram is viewed on a computer.
Who should have digital mammography?
• Women under 50 years old.
• Women with “dense” breasts. (Breasts that have more tissue than fat.)
• Call your clinic or doctor to see if digital mammography is right for you.
Source: Mammography website: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography
Digital mammography website:
www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/dig-faq.html
