Mammogram

A screening mammogram looks for signs of breast cancer in women who do not have any breast symptoms. Mammograms allow radiologists to look for changes in breast tissue, even before a lump can be felt, detecting breast cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat.

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Early detection of breast cancer is key!

Early detection of breast cancer is key!

 

 

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Call the Diagnostic & Imaging Center most convenient for you to schedule.

MyChart Online Scheduling

Schedule your mammogram online

Schedule your next mammography appointment online through MyChart.

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Use our safe and secure digital health chart to save time with e-check in. With MyChart you will stay connected and informed.

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We have 8 locations across Eastern Virginia. 

 

Your estimated risk of developing breast cancer can be assessed through information obtained at your mammogram appointment

 Many women believe that in the absence of having a family history of breast cancer they are not at risk. But did you know that only 5-10% of breast cancers diagnosed in the USA are due to an inherited gene mutation and up to 70% of all breast cancers arise in women without any significant family history of breast cancer?

Knowing more about your risk of developing breast cancer allows you to make informed choices in breast cancer risk reduction, early detection and breast wellness. Women who are at an increased risk may qualify for additional screenings, such as alternating screening mammograms with screening breast MRI. Should you learn you may be at increased risk for developing breast cancer, our High Risk Breast Clinic is here to provide you information around a personalized risk reduction and early detection strategy.

Breast cancer risk assessment at your mammogram appointment is easy when you do MyChart e-check in

Breast cancer risk assessment at your mammogram appointment is easy when you do MyChart e-check in

When you do e-check in for your mammogram appointment through MyChart you will answer some questions around personal and family health history along with a few other questions that help estimate your breast cancer risk compared to the general population. Don’t have MyChart? Sign up here. 

Your answers to questions in the check in process along with results from your mammogram will calculate an estimated risk of developing breast cancer. This information will be provided to you when you receive your mammogram result.

If you do not have access to sign up for MyChart, don’t worry. We are here for you and your mammographer technologist can assist you with entering responses into your health chart at your visit.

If you notice a change in how your breast normally looks and feels, don’t dismiss it- even if you had a normal mammogram exam within the past year

If you notice a change in how your breast normally looks and feels, don’t dismiss it- even if you had a normal mammogram exam within the past year

Life can get busy and noticing a change in how your breasts normally look and feel can be scary. If you have a concern, dismissing it won’t make it go away. The earlier you get answers the better. Be it peace of mind or early detection, your health matters to you and your family.

Contact your health care provider for a breast exam if you notice:

  • A lump in the breast or under the arm
  • Skin changes, including a dimple, redness or thickening
  • Change in breast shape or size
  • Nipple discharge
  • Scaling or redness of the nipple and/or areola
  • Nipple retraction or inversion
  • New breast pain

 

Click here to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider or gynecologist.


All women deserve screening mammograms.  There is help if you are uninsured and unable to afford this life saving screening.

All women deserve screening mammograms. There is help if you are uninsured and unable to afford this life saving screening.

If you are uninsured, unable to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare and unable to afford your annual screening mammogram, please contact our Cancer Outreach Office for assistance at 1-800-520-7006. Riverside is able to offer screening mammograms and cervical cancer screenings at no cost to eligible women through the grant support of the Every Woman’s Life Program (part of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program - NBCCEDP), and the Riverside Health System Foundation.

If breast cancer is detected, women diagnosed through this program are automatically enrolled in Medicaid for their treatment.

For more information on this program, or to see if you qualify, please call 1-800-520-7006.


Riverside’s breast program offers comprehensive care

Riverside’s breast program offers comprehensive care

Your choice to go to Riverside’s Diagnostic & Imaging Centers for your mammogram means you are choosing the highest quality breast imaging and support.

All of Riverside’s Diagnostic & Imaging Centers are accredited by the American College of Radiology, including three locations that are designated as Breast Centers of Excellence.

Riverside has obtained certification as part of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons

As a commitment to innovation in breast cancer detection, Riverside Health System has partnered with Transpara® BreastCare, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to help radiologists detect cancers in mammograms. The software serves as a second set of eyes for providers to identify patterns of cancerous breast tissue and aims to detect cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.

Access to Riverside’s High Risk Breast Clinic, where women who may be at higher risk of developing breast cancer can receive a personalized risk reduction and early detection care plan.

Should breast cancer be detected, patients can count on comprehensive and compassionate cancer care close to home. The Riverside Cancer Care Network providers patients with the latest advancements in treatment and technology with a highly skilled team of cancer specialists, breast cancer nurse navigators and other support services.


Frequently Asked Questions

If you are found to be at high risk for developing breast cancer, it does not mean that you have breast cancer, or that you will develop it in the future. It means that your risk is higher than that of the general population and you should investigate ways to reduce and manage your risk and intensify your screening so that if cancer develops it can be caught at the earliest possible time. A consultation at the Riverside’s High Risk Breast Clinic will provide you information to understand your risk as well as ways you may detect breast cancer at an earlier stage, when it is easier to treat.

While not all risk factors can be modified, you can empower yourself and make sure your breast cancer risk is as low as possible by choosing the healthiest lifestyle options, including:

  • Avoiding tobacco products
  • Remaining at a healthy weight- especially avoiding postmenopausal weight gain
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Being physically active
  • Limiting alcohol use
  • Getting regular health screenings, including mammograms, preferably 3D
  • Considering the risks vs. benefits of hormone replacement therapy and discussing them with your doctor
  • Discussing with your provider risk reducing strategies if you are considered high risk

Your investment in answering questions around your breast imaging and health history is of immense value to you, and each year after you will only need to update if anything has changed.

You will be asked several questions around your medical history, prior breast procedure history and your family history. If a family member has a history of certain cancers you will provide which family member this is to you (sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, father, grandfather, uncle). Knowing the age the family member was at time of their diagnosis will also be helpful information to have available.

Wear a blouse, sweater or two-piece outfit when you come for your mammogram. You will need to remove clothing from the waist up.

Do not use deodorant, powder, perfume, ointment, or cream on your breasts or underarms. This can leave residue that interferes with the test results.

For some women, caffeine causes breast tenderness. One to two weeks before your exam, cut back or stop consuming products with caffeine (for example, coffee, tea, chocolate, cola).

If you have any special health needs or considerations, please feel free to call and notify the appropriate Diagnostic & Imaging Center.

If there is any chance you may be pregnant, please inform the technologist before the exam.

Riverside uses the Tyrer-Cuzick and other models to assess your risk of breast cancer. The models ask a series of questions and from your responses a score will be provided indicating your personal risk versus that of the general population for women of the same age, race and ethnicity.

The Tyrer-Cuzick model calculates your risk of breast cancer developing within the next 10 years as well as within your lifetime.

The tool uses the following factors to determine risk:

  • Age
  • Age of first menstrual cycle
  • BRCA gene mutation
  • Childbirth history
  • Family history
  • Height and Weight (BMI)
  • History of breast biopsies
  • Specific pathology of breast biopsies (e.g. atypia and LCIS)
  • History of ovarian cancer
  • Menopausal status
  • Use of hormonal therapy
  • Breast density
  • Ashkenazi inheritance

Tyrer-Cuzick results fall under one of three categories: average lifetime risk (less than 15 percent), intermediate lifetime risk (15 to 19 percent) and high lifetime risk (more than 20 percent). If the results demonstrate a lifetime risk of 20% or greater, you would benefit from a consultation at the High-Risk Breast Clinic.

Based on your personal and family history, if you are determined to be at higher risk of breast cancer, this does not mean you have breast cancer or will develop it in the future. It means your chances are higher than that of the general population.


Your mammogram results will be available for you in your MyChart. If you don’t have MyChart, sign up here. A copy of your mammogram results will be sent to your primary care provider or referring provider and a letter will also be mailed to you with your results.

Riverside is an accredited breast center through National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.

As an NAPBC-accredited center, Riverside Cancer Care Network is committed to maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care resulting in high-quality care for patients with breast disease. Patients can be confident that their breast care team includes healthcare professionals from a variety of disciplines who are committed to working together to provide the best care available through their entire course of treatment. Patients receiving care at an NAPBC-accredited center can also access information on clinical trials and new treatment options, genetic counseling and patient-centered services, including psychosocial support, rehabilitation services and survivorship care.

Accreditation by the NAPBC is granted only to programs committed to providing the best possible care to patients with breast cancer. Patients receiving care at this NAPBC-accredited center have access to the following:

Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art services

Multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options

Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options


When at all possible, the radiologist should have the X-ray films from your previous — or at least most recent — mammograms (not just the written report) for comparison. This helps the radiologist find small changes and detect a cancer as early as possible. Because getting the X-ray films from previous mammograms can be a challenge, it is best to find a facility that you are comfortable with and plan to get your regular mammograms there each year. That way, your prior films are easily available.
An abnormal finding does not mean you have breast cancer. About 12% of women who are screened have abnormal results that require further testing, but only 4% of women with an abnormal mammogram have breast cancer.

If a concern is suspected as seen on the screening mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram will be done that will take additional views.

When you have your further imaging performed, your images are reviewed by the radiologist while you are there so that more pictures can be taken if needed to look more closely at an area of concern.

The radiologist may also order a breast ultrasound or breast MRI to get better visualization of the area if needed.

Breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses radio waves, strong magnets and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the breast.

Breast MRI is usually not recommended for women at average risk of developing breast cancer, as it is more likely to yield “false positive” test results than mammography. False positive test results may lead to additional testing and create anxiety unnecessarily.

An ultrasound may be recommended to be added as part of breast cancer screening for high-risk patients, or for those with dense or fibrocystic breasts.

It matters where you go for a mammogram. “Choosing a diagnostic facility that is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for mammography matters”, says Riverside’s fellowship trained mammographer, Benjamin Pettus, M.D.

The ACR is the leader in quality programs for breast imaging. Riverside is accredited by the ACR for screening mammography. Our ACR-accredited centers offer advanced screening and diagnostic services close to home.

The Riverside Diagnostic & Breast Imaging Center in Newport News, Williamsburg, and Gloucester are designated as a Breast Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR) due to its accreditation in all available forms of screening and diagnosis which are used to help detect breast cancer earlier when the chance for cure is greatest. To receive this designation, a Breast Center of Excellence must meet the following criteria:

  • Mammography by the ACR (or an FDA-approved state accrediting body)
  • Stereotactic Breast Biopsy by the ACR
  • Breast Ultrasound by the ACR (including the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy module)
  • Breast MRI by the ACR or within the ACR network
  • Advanced screening and diagnostic services close to home.
  • Riverside’s ACR Breast Center of Excellence locations:
  • Riverside Diagnostic & Breast Imaging Center Newport News
  • Riverside Diagnostic Center Williamsburg
  • Riverside Walter Reed Hospital


For patients that may require diagnostic imaging, Riverside’s ACR Accredited Diagnostic Centers offer contrast enhanced mammography, BSGI (breast-specific gamma imaging), and breast ultrasound.

  • Riverside’s ACR Accredited locations:
  • Riverside Diagnostic Center Hampton
  • Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
  • Riverside Diagnostic Center Smithfield

Breast cancer screening and early detection is key

LEARN MORE
Breast cancer screening and early detection is key

Riverside uses AI to assist in reading mammograms

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Riverside uses AI to assist in reading mammograms

Hear one patient’s message to not dismiss changes in your breast

LEARN MORE
Hear one patient’s message to not dismiss changes in your breast