How i find top-notch centers for mammogram near me.

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Getting regularly screened for breast cancer is not something to trifle with. Not when more than 10% of women go on to develop the disease.

In this article, we present you with a list of some top-rated centers for mammograms near you.

Factors taken into consideration in coming up with the list are:

Reliability or performance score: From those that have used the centers.
Ease of contact: An easy channel for booking appointments without stress.

Till we figure out how to communicate in other languages, countries covered in this article are English-speaking ones like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. We couldn’t obtain any ratings for the centers listed from Australia though.

The US particularly has numerous top-notch mammogram centers that we could only list just a handful of them. However, we hope to keep enlisting more centers with time.

Firstly, we’d like to highlight what a mammogram is, the types, the age for it, the costs, and how long it takes.

Kindly use the table of contents below to jump straight to the section that helps you find where to have it done if that is all you want to know.

What is a Mammogram?

Simply put, this is a radiological image of the breast obtained by utilizing low-dose X-rays. With these, early changes in the breast can be detected by a Radiologist and given prompt attention.

This makes for early detection of benign tumors, Cancer, or cysts, long before they can be detected by physical examination or palpation.

Needless to say, early detection and treatment improve survivability or treatment outcomes by a lot. It makes the need for regular screening quite expedient, but at what age should you commence this?

Mammogram Age:

Usually, once you are 40 years and above you may need to put this into consideration even though you may not get a formal invitation to be screened unless you are above 50 years. A self-invitation is allowed.

There are slight variations in age recommendations for mammograms but the American Cancer Society (ACS) has the following guidelines on this subject:

With the current increase in the detection of breast abnormalities in younger women, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends you begin your mammogram screening at the age of 40. The new position is that it’s not left for you to decide if you should start at 40 or not as described in the image above. It is recommended you start and are eligible to get an invitation for your first mammogram once you clock 40.

Types of Mammograms.

They are differentiated by the presence or absence of symptoms which may include:

Pain
Lump in the breast or underarm.
Breast swelling
Dimpling of the skin
Pulled in nipple
Nipple discharge
Thickening of a part of the breast.

For women within the age of menstruation, you are advised to avoid going for mammograms a week before commencement of your period Click To Tweet as the breasts may be swollen and tender at that point.

This is necessary for you not to confuse it with the symptoms mentioned above. Additionally, you don’t want to place already tender breasts between the plates of a mammogram machine even if you are a superwoman mommy.

With that said, there are basically two types of mammograms:

Screening Mammogram.
Diagnostic mammograms.

Screening Mammograms:

These refer to all mammograms done while you are not showing any symptoms at all.

Two X-ray pictures of each breast are taken during this process to give what is called a 2 dimensional (2-D) mammogram.

However, there is a 3-dimensional mammogram that involves taking multiple images of the breast. This isn’t very common though it’s preferred by radiologists.

Screening is so important that almost 40 million of them are done In the United States each year.Regular breast screening has to be maintained so long as you are healthy and looking good to live out the next 10 years Click To Tweet

Diagnostic Mammograms:

As the name suggests, they are done as part of investigations carried out on people who are already showing symptoms.

It is important to state at this point that Mammograms are usually not taken as a definite diagnosis of breast cancer. There are follow-up appointments and other tests done to confirm breast cancer.

So even if your mammogram suggests there is a problem and there are symptoms, it most likely may not be cancer.

Cost of mammograms.

We can’t give a definite figure for out-of-pocket cost as it may vary widely across regions, states, and provinces. Below are just ideas of what you may have to spend to get a screening mammogram done in four countries of interest.

Median cost in the US: $139-$360. according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).¹
UK: £225 or higher.
Canada: Ranges from $140 to $430 (Canadian dollars). $140 -$360 for one breast and $170-$430 for both breasts.
Australia: $150 or higher (Australian Dollars).

These may seem a lot but mammogram screening could be obtained free of charge if you do a thorough search. In places like New South Wales in Australia for instance the screening is believed to be quite free.

How long does a mammogram take?

The actual procedure may take not more than 10 to 15 minutes. Other processes like undressing, dressing, and repeat exposures when an initial image is considered blurred may bring it up to half an hour (30 minutes) at most. How long you may spend depends on numerous factors.

However, the result could take a couple of days to get to you but usually not more than 30 days.

Mammogram Procedures:

Avoid the application of lotions, powder, and other cosmetic products around the breast or underarm as they may appear as white patches on the mammogram.
Endeavor to wear a top you could easily take off and wear back rather than gowns.
Ensure to go with previous reports if you’ve been having it in other centers. These could be handy in analyzing your current image as a comparison has to be made with previous mammograms.
Discuss any concerns you may have with your Radiologist and, or technologist before the commencement of the procedure.
You’ll be asked to remove your top but will be provided with an alternative cover better suited for the process.
The technologist first places your breast on the mammogram machine plate. Then a plastic upper one is lowered to a point where it gently compresses your breast to help flatten the breast tissues. Without this, it may not be possible to get good images with low-dose X-rays.
For screening mammograms, all that may be required are two images of each breast. For large breasts or one with the presence of implants, more images may be required.
Over time, you’ll be enlightened on the result of your breast screen test and the next course of action if required.

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Finding a center for mammograms near you.

Since screening mammograms is something carried out regularly, finding a perfect center within your location is something anyone will wish for.

Below is our list of some excellent centers in four countries. They were selected largely based on rating and then the ease at which you could access their contact to book appointments.

United States (USA):

As mentioned earlier, there were far too many top-notch mammogram centers in the US that we couldn’t possibly cover every one of them. We had to make do with the first 36 top-rated facilities we found.

Clicking the links here will lead you to each enlisted center’s website from where you can book an appointment.

We could go on and on as there were so many awesome mammogram centers in the US. So the facility you’ve been using that wasn’t listed could actually be one of them.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) has you covered no matter your location in the USA. Just at the click of a few buttons, you can access a mammogram screening center near you in whatever state you reside.

United Kingdom:

Out-of-pocket mammogram screening costs may be a little bit higher in the UK but they’ve also got top-notch centers providing out-of-the-world services.

You could contact most of these centers via the NHS.

Canada:

With her much smaller population, she doesn’t have as many centers as the US but can still boast of excellent ones that meet the health needs of her citizens. These include:

VIP Breast imaging.
The Ottawa Hospital.
My Health Center, Mississauga.
Australia
As stated earlier in this article, we couldn’t obtain any ratings for Australian-based mammogram screening centers. Nonetheless, you can bet on the quality of care available anywhere in Australia. Here are some places that may be near you:

Breast Screen Center, Victoria, Melbourne. Their site offers a location search feature that enables you to find a screening center nearest to you.
Finally, we have the offer from the Australian Government Department of Health.

Just like the US CDC and the UK’s NHS, the Australian government’s Department of Health offers you the convenience of getting you to do your mammogram near you. This is made possible by selecting any of the over 750 facilities they have all over the country.

In conclusion, we hope this piece helps you locate really great centers for mammograms near you. Feel free to contact us if there is anything you wish to point out or add.

Are there facilities you’ve been using that deserve to be mentioned for their stellar performance? Tell us about it and the reason you think they are awesome.

Have you gone to any of the centers mentioned here? Kindly share your experience.

Are you a breast cancer survivor? Have you been recently diagnosed with the disease or was it a false positive? We dearly wish you could also share your experience with us.

Always remember this:

That you had an abnormal mammogram report doesn’t mean you’ll end up with breast cancer Click To Tweet

Never forget that. So don’t freak out when your result in any of your annual screenings doesn’t turn out as you wish.

Cost of breast cancer screening in the USA: Comparison of current practice, advocated guidelines, and a personalized risk-based approach.
Kimberly Badal, James Staib, Jeffrey Tice, Mi-Ok Kim, Martin Eklund, Stacey DaCosta Byfield, Kierstin Catlett, Leslie Wilson, Liz Maffey, Rashna Soonavala, Allison Stover-Fiscalini, and Laura Esserman
Journal of Clinical Oncology 2023 41:16_suppl, e18917 ↩︎