RADIOLOGY/IMAGING

Breast Diagnostic Imaging & Mammogram 

A mammogram is a special type of X-ray of the breasts. Breast mammograms can show tumors long before they are big enough for you or your health care provider to feel. Mammograms are recommended every year or two for women older than 40. They are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease.

Breast mammograms are quick and easy. You stand in front of an X-ray machine. The person who takes the X-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have an X-ray of each breast. A mammogram takes only a few seconds and it can help save your life. 

All breast mammograms are double read using the ImageChecker Computer Aided Detection (CAD) System by R2 Technology.  Approved by the FDA, this system uses advanced software to provide a computerized double reading of mammograms by digitizing films, searching for suspicious areas in the breast, and alerting the radiologist who makes the final determination as to whether further examination is necessary.  The technology, coupled with the radiologist's expertise, provides a more accurate diagnosis than mammography alone. 

In addition to film, digital mammography is available.  It has proven to be a more effective screening tool for pre-menopausal women and for women with dense breast tissue. 

The Breast Health Center, located at the Beverly Hospital at Danvers, provides baseline breast screening and diagnostic mammography, to include stereotactic and ultrasound core biopsies, as well as specialty board-certified physician consultations.  Through its multidisciplinary physician case conference, the center brings radiologists and other breast specialists together in a single session to recommend the best plan of care for individuals newly diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Additionally, certain high-risk patients or those with a new breast cancer diagnosis may benefit from breast MRI imaging, a new and evolving technology that promises to make a significant contribution to early and accurate diagnosis and treatment. 

Northeast Health System mammography centers possess valid licenses and certificates of inspection issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 

To request an appointment for a mammogram, click here and complete the online form.