Please refer to the menu items on the right hand side of the screen to get more information on a specific procedure

• Breast imaging: includes mammography, breast ultrasound (both mammography and ultrasound may be used in diagnostic & screening examinations ), ductography (uses contrast media to demonstrate mammary duct eg for persistent discharge), & MRI

• Radiologic Breast Intervention: includes ultrasound and stereotactic breast biopsy, cyst aspiration (often referred to as FNA or fine needle aspiration) and wire localisation
  
  Mammography
  Mammograms are categorised as:

1. screening mammograms - a wellness check for a patient with no symptoms.
   
   
2. diagnostic mammograms – performed where a patient presents with a symptom such as a breast lump

Approximately 10% of all breast cancers will not be identified by mammography alone and therefore in diagnostic mammography, ultrasound is often used in conjunction with the mammogram.
If a woman has a normal mammogram and clinical suspicion remains, further imaging, biopsy and / or surgical opinion should be considered.

We recommend that

• women 40-49 years should have an annual mammogram. 

• women over 50 . We recommend annual screening.  Some women may prefer to continue with 2 yearly screening but longer than a 2 yearly interval confers no benefit.

• When to stop screening?  Once again there are no studies to help us with definite guidelines.  Screening can continue after the age of 70 at 1-2 yearly intervals.

• women with a strong family history of breast cancer (pre menopausal, first degree relative) should start  annual mammography five years before the age their relative was diagnosed with breast cancer

• Radiologists may recommend that a woman under 35 years of age presenting with a lump and / or a family history of breast cancer has a limited mammogram and / or a screening breast ultrasound.