Our women patients are understandably eager to avoid the pain and risks of annual screening mammograms.
Radiation, as we all know, is a cause of cancer. And compression can be painful, and can damage breast tissue.
However, there are times when a mammogram may be needed – when, for example, the results of a thermographic exam are equivocal.
Also, if there are observable tissue changes on self-exam or on a physical exam, we really have no reasonable choice but to recommend anatomic screening to augment thermography.
In these cases, mammograms are one option. When the situation demands it, the cost, pain, and risks of a mammogram may be unavoidable.
That said, however, it’s also true that lumps and bumps can sometimes be evaluated with ultrasound, instead of a mammogram. For example, ultrasound can reveal whether a mass is cystic or solid.
An MRI may be even more accurate than a mammogram, but insurance providers seldom approve MRIs except in high-risk situations, but not for general screening.
Ask your health care practitioner about your options.
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Read more about breast thermography at our Pacific Naturopathic clinic here.