Mammography

Digital Mammography is here! Experience a more comfortable mammogram with MammoPad® breast cushions!

Jennifer and Faith's Story

Digital image of breast magnified for enhanced view

Digital Image of breast

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the U.S. Fortunately, deaths caused by breast cancer have declined over the past 20 years. Many experts believe this is, in part, a result of improved screening and treatment.

Thompson’s mammography program is nationally accredited by the American College of Radiology and offers full-field digital mammography, mammographic and ultrasound-guided breast biopsies, as well as breast MRI.

For your convenience, the mammography department is open:

Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Every other Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Please call (585) 396-6910 to schedule your annual mammogram. Remember, current national guidelines are to have one mammogram around age 35 and then one per year starting at the age of 40. No referral is necessary for screening mammograms.

How do digital mammograms work?
Mammograms work by sending x-rays through the breast tissue to obtain images. These pictures are then analyzed for abnormalities and assessed for changes from previous tests.

To get the best images possible in either a film or digital mammogram, the technologist needs to compress your breasts before taking images. Your breasts will be pressed between two special plates before x-rays are used to take the image. The images obtained are then turned into electric signals that can be stored in a computer. This is similar to the way digital cameras take and store pictures.

What is a MammoPad® breast cushion?
Thompson is focused on the comfort of our patients so we are offering MammoPad® breast cushions for every mammography patient. These cushions provide a warm, soft surface for the breast during the exam, similar to a Memory Foam pillow.

And keeping our environment in mind, the MammoPads are part of a recycle program through the manufacturer.

What are the potential benefits of digital mammograms vs. film mammograms?

• Enhanced interpretation. Mammograms can be extremely difficult for radiologists to interpret. Digital mammograms, though, are stored electronically. That means they can be analyzed by computers as well as by radiologists.
• Image manipulation capabilities. Film mammogram images cannot be changed. Digital mammogram images can be manipulated digitally for better clarity and visibility. For instance, the contrast of the images can be changed where necessary to provide a clearer picture.
• Easier second opinions. Since digital mammograms are stored in computers, they can easily be sent electronically to other health care professionals for analysis.
• Easier to store. Film mammograms produce bulky sets of films that must be stored and revisited for comparison in future tests. Digital mammogram results are stored on computers for ease of access and retrieval.