"Screening mammography "
"patient ID (name and URN or DOB)"
"Adequate craniocaudal (CC) views"
Expected headings
"Types of mammography"
"Screening mammography "
"Diagnostic mammography"
"Differences between the screening and diagnostic environments"
"Why is a diagnosis of breast cancer significant?"
"Why is mammography important?"
"Why does a breast imager read mammograms?"
"Why all the adverse publicity for mammography?"
"Criteria for image quality assessment"
"Adequate craniocaudal (CC) views"
"Adequate mediolateral oblique (MLO) views"
"Screening studies are well performed by trained sympathetic staff in environments that are not necessarily located in hospitals. Screening centres function very well as stand-alone locations without a physician on-site. The studies are usually read by breast radiologists and/or breast physicians in an isolated environment. In contrast to the rest of radiology, these studies are read in batches (boards) and in large volumes, and comparison to prior mammograms is vital. Where screening studies are read in environments where interruptions, phones and distractions are present, the risk of mistakes occurring is higher. In many countries, breast cancer screening programs require screening mammograms to be double-read (i.e. two independent breast imagers read the mammogram) with any discordance being referred to a third independent reader. The standard screening views performed are the craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) projections of each breast."
"Screening studies are well performed by trained sympathetic staff in environments that are not necessarily located in hospitals. Screening centres function very well as stand-alone locations without a physician on-site. The studies are usually read by breast radiologists and/or breast physicians in an isolated environment. In contrast to the rest of radiology, these studies are read in batches (boards) and in large volumes, and comparison to prior mammograms is vital. Where screening studies are read in environments where interruptions, phones and distractions are present, the risk of mistakes occurring is higher. In many countries, breast cancer screening programs require screening mammograms to be double-read (i.e. two independent breast imagers read the mammogram) with any discordance being referred to a third independent reader. The standard screening views performed are the craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) projections of each breast."
"For some strange reason, not all radiologists are "wired" to read breast imaging. The reason for this is unclear. This has nothing to do with capability, intelligence or competency in other fields of imaging. Mammogram readers must have statistically proven, reproducible proficiency to allow them to qualify to read the images and to objectively and independently confirm their proficiency. This is important because of the emotive and potentially disturbing consequences of a significant finding on a mammogram. Unnecessary recalls cost money, do not add value and upset the patient and her physician."
"It has become politically correct to question the value of mammography. Most of the adverse publicity has a single source out of The Cochrane Collaboration and from one author. The emotion around the disease and its appeal in the lay literature then fuels the publicity which detracts from the scientifically proven value of early diagnosis, improved survival and cosmetically acceptable treatment. A review of the ongoing debate in this regard is out of the scope of this website. Suffice to say that in many respects this is an unfortunate debate driven by people who are not breast imagers and it detracts time, money, effort and attention from the real issue - finding a cure. This debate has many features in common with the infamous debate surrounding autism and MMR vaccination."