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By Mayo Clinic staffSchedule the test for a time when your breasts are least likely to be tender. If you haven't gone through menopause, that's usually during the week after your menstrual period. Your breasts are most likely to be tender the week before and the week during your period.
Ask whether the mammogram facility is certified by the Food and Drug Administration. This certification will ensure that the facility meets certain standards.
If you're going to a new facility for your mammogram, gather any prior mammograms and bring them with you to your appointment so that the radiologist can compare them with your new images. It's important to bring the original mammogram films, not copies, and accompanying reports.
Avoid using deodorants, antiperspirants, powders, lotions, creams or perfumes under your arms or on your breasts. Metallic particles in powders and deodorants could be visible on your mammogram and cause confusion.
Taking an over-the-counter pain medication, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), about an hour before your mammogram might ease the discomfort of the test.
- Mammograms and other breast imaging procedures. American Cancer Society. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Screening mammograms: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/screening-mammograms. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Tice JA, et al. Screening and prevention of breast cancer in primary care. Journal of Primary Care. 2009;36:533.
- Venkataraman S. Breast imaging: Mammography and ultrasonography. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Fletcher SW. Screening for breast cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Esserman LJ, et al. Diagnostic evaluation of women with suspected breast cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer. American Cancer Society. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for breast cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;151:716.
