Tips and Tricks To Read a Mammogram: What a Surgeon Needs to Know

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Breast imaging is one of the most widely used radiological techniques all over the world owing to its high detection rate of early breast cancers, cost effectiveness and it being an easy to handle modality. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly occurring malignancy in women with a high mortality rate if undetected. Early effective detection has resulted in decreasing the mortality.

The most commonly available breast imaging techniques include ultrasound, mammography, MRI and nuclear techniques. Recent advancements have provided advanced results in terms of lesion detection like full field digital mammography (FFDM) and computer aided detection (Artificial Intelligence). Mammography is one of the best screening tool for breast cancer especially in asymptomatic women above the age of 40 years as demonstrated by various randomized control trials and mass screening programs. The objective of this short communication is to give a brief overview of how to read a mammogram.