Mammography

Click here to view a video about the mammography process

Screening mammography involves taking an x-ray picture of each breast while it is being gently compressed. Although it will cause mild discomfort in most women it does detect breast cancer at an early stage before changes can be felt in the breast by you or your doctor. Because it detects breast cancer at an early stage it has helped to reduce the death rate from breast cancer in women over 50 in the UK.

Mammography will not pick up all breast cancers however. In women over 50 the sensitivity (chance of detecting breast cancer) of this test is around 85% but under age 50, the sensitivity can be much lower due to the presence of more dense breast tissue.

Our mammograms are reported by highly trained consultant breast radiologists who work in the NHS Breast Screening programme.

Mammography can be performed 2-yearly in women over 47 years.

Women with a family history of breast cancer can start mammography at an earlier age (35 years) and have it more often (1-2 yearly) depending on your specialist's advice.

Click herefor frequently asked questions on Mammography.