the.com/mammography
An X-ray that squeezes your breast to find what's too small to feel.
means An X-ray imaging technique used to examine breast tissue, mainly to screen for or diagnose breast cancer before a lump can be felt.
from Built from Latin 'mamma' (breast) and Greek 'graphia' (writing, recording) — the same '-graphy' suffix found in photography and radiography. The term emerged in the 20th century as X-ray imaging of breast tissue developed into its own specialized technique, distinct from general radiography, needing a name that said exactly what it pictured.
- compression purpose
- Flattens tissue so less radiation gets more detail
- detects
- Lumps years before they're palpable by hand
- discomfort tradeoff
- Seconds of squeeze beat months of not knowing
- screening age
- Most guidelines start routine scans around age 40