How Doctors Interpret Mammograms
Expert Quote
Meet our Medical Experts »“Before you go to get a mammogram, make sure you know whether you're there for a screening mammogram or a diagnostic mammogram. If you're there for your annual screening mammogram, you may not meet with the radiologist or get your results the same day. Sometimes, there's an advantage to this. Getting your results later often means having two doctors look at your mammogram. A lump, pain, nipple discharge, breast implants, or breast surgery automatically make your mammogram diagnostic. If you have a lump, or other symptoms, tell the mammography center so they know what they're dealing with. ”
Susan Orel, M.D.
Just like any other kind of interpretation, reading a mammogram is a skill that doctors develop over time. They look for any signs of abnormality, including asymmetries (something on one side that's not on the other), irregular areas of increased density, clusters of small calcifications, and any area of skin thickening. But most of the time, a radiologist can't say for sure whether "it's cancer" or "it's not cancer" based on a mammogram alone, because both cancerous and non-cancerous growths can look the same. That's why, for many women, a mammogram is the first in a series of tests that will help reveal the "big picture".
You'll want to think beforehand about whether you want your mammogram films read immediately, while you wait, or at another time and place. Your doctor may want to read them first and discuss the results with you. Be sure you know where and when you'll find out what the films show BEFORE you get your mammogram. The main advantage of having them read immediately by the radiologist on site is that if the doctor sees anything suspicious, you can immediately get more imaging done—close-up mammograms or an ultrasound. More about getting your test results.