Your Mammogram Appointment

When you call for an appointment, the receptionist will ask if you have previously had a mammogram, and where. If you are planning to be away for an extended period, please try to book your appointment six weeks prior to departure to allow adequate time to receive your mammogram results and for any follow up that may be required.

On the day of your appointment, wear comfortable clothing that can easily be removed. Please do not use deodorants, antiperspirants, body lotions, or talcum powders, as metals in these products can show up on the X-ray picture. When you arrive for your appointment, a receptionist will register you and ask questions about your health history.

You will be shown to a change room and asked to remove clothing from the waist up. Wearing a two-piece outfit will make this easier. You will be given a gown to wear.

A medical radiation technologist will perform the mammogram. She will place your breasts, one at a time, on a flat plate. Another plate is then pressed firmly against your breast to help flatten out the breast tissue. Firm compression is needed to obtain high-quality images. Two x-rays of each breast are taken.

Tips for a comfortable mammogram

• Book your mammogram within two weeks after your menstrual period has ended, as your breasts are often less tender at this time.
• Inform the technologist if you feel pain. Working together with the technologist can make the mammogram as comfortable as possible.
• Breathe deeply and relax your chest muscles.

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