Is it possible for a mammogram to miss a potential abnormality?
Mammograms detect about 85 percent of cancers. It is harder to spot tumours in dense muscle than in fatty tissue, and some women – particularly those who are pre-menopausal or on Hormone-Replacement Therapy – have dense breasts with more muscle and less fat. This makes it all the more important for women to carry out a monthly breast self-examination themselves.Any woman who thinks that a mammogram did not pick up something should attend her family doctor for another check up. Some lesions which are not picked up on a mammogram may be found by physical examination, with the combination of physical examination and mammography detecting most lesions. If a lesion is found on physical examination, despite a negative mammogram, it is usual to proceed to a biopsy.
Mammograms detect about 85 percent of cancers. It is harder to spot tumours in dense muscle than in fatty tissue, and some women – particularly those who are pre-menopausal or on Hormone-Replacement Therapy – have dense breasts with more muscle and less fat. This makes it all the more important for women to carry out a monthly breast self-examination themselves. Any woman who thinks that a mammogram did not pick up something should attend her family doctor for another check up. Some lesions which are not picked up on a mammogram may be found by physical examination, with the combination of physical examination and mammography detecting most lesions. If a lesion is found on physical examination, despite a negative mammogram, it is usual to proceed to a biopsy.
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