October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month held annually to raise awareness about the impact of the disease along with showing support for those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Pam Tally of Caldwell Medical Center, says getting a mammogram doesn’t take long and it can save your life.
click to download audioAt what age should you get a mammogram? Tally said that depends on your family history and it’s between the patient and doctor.
click to download audioOf course not every lump is cancerous, but Tally says you should get it checked out.
click to download audioAccording to Tally, you will need a doctor’s order to have a mammogram.
click to download audioAnd when getting a mammogram, she said, you will need to remove deodorants, body lotions, and talc powders because it can leave an artifact on the image making it look like you have a problem when you don’t.
Tally says the mammogram takes approximately 15 minutes once you get into a room but that depends on whether you’ve been there before, and how many questions you have.
The turnaround time for results depends on if you’ve had images done at the hospital or if the images are coming from outside the hospital which Tally says takes about 10 days. But if you’ve had a mammogram at the hospital or this is your first one, she notes most of the time the results are read the same day of the test or your doctor will get the results the next day.
She also pointed out that if it’s your first mammogram and you’re called back for an ultrasound it doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad.
click to download audioTally has been a mammography technologist for 30 years.
