Annual mammograms and, if you and your doctor decide they’re right for you, monthly breast self-exams, are part of a proactive breast health plan. The goal is to detect breast cancer early when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.
Schedule Your Screening Mammogram Now
Froedtert & MCW imaging locations are open for scheduling your diagnostic and screening mammograms.
We offer the ability to schedule your screening mammogram online. Choose the mammogram location, date and time that best meets your needs. Saturday and evening appointments are available at some locations.
We appreciate that you’re being proactive about taking care of yourself and will work with you to schedule your exam as soon as possible.
Schedule Your Mammogram Online
Breast Cancer Screening: What is a Mammogram?
A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray exam of the breast to look for changes in breast tissue. Screening mammograms are performed annually on women who have no symptoms for breast cancer.
Do Mammograms Find Breast Cancer Early?
Screening mammograms can find cancer when it is too small for you to feel. Early discovery and treatment can save your life.
Finding breast cancer at an early stage is a real advantage: Early discovery, when breast cancer is contained within your breast, gives you about a 99% survival rate (National Cancer Institute SEER database, 2014 –2020, 5-year relative survival, all races, female). When breast cancer is found after it has spread beyond your breast, the odds are less favorable. For instance, if diagnosed when it has spread to nearby structures or lymph nodes, the survival rate is almost 87%. If breast cancer is found when it has already spread to other organs like the lungs, long-term survival is around 32%.
What Happens in a Mammogram?
A mammogram is a clinical exam by a medical professional. The mammogram takes about 30 minutes. Most patients have two pictures of each breast taken, producing a four-view screening exam. All of our mammogram locations use 3D digital mammography, which produces more accurate imaging in most women. If there are concerns about your screening mammogram results, your doctor may refer you for a diagnostic mammogram and additional imaging.
Are Mammograms Covered by Insurance?
It is always a good idea to check with your insurance provider to see if insurance co-pays or deductibles apply.
There is a difference in how insurance providers cover screening and diagnostic mammograms. The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance plans to cover the costs of preventive services you qualify for. That includes screening mammograms performed within your insurance network. If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, starting at age 40, insurance covers mammograms every one or two years.
A screening mammogram is a test you have routinely when you don’t have any symptoms of breast cancer.
If you have a mammogram because you have breast cancer symptoms, such as a lump, the mammogram is not a screening — it is a diagnostic test or diagnostic mammogram. Also, if a lump or suspicious area is found during a screening mammogram, a follow-up mammogram or other imaging test to confirm or rule out cancer is considered diagnostic. For diagnostic tests, your insurance company will require you to pay deductibles, copays or coinsurance — just the same as would be charged for any other tests your doctor uses to rule out or confirm a health problem.
Breast Screening Guidelines
We recommend that all women ages 40 and older have access to mammography, as annual screening mammograms save the most lives. We recommend annual clinical breast exams by a health care doctor or clinician. Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and tell their doctor or clinician about any changes right away. As always, we strongly encourage all women to talk with their doctors about the risks and benefits of breast cancer screening, including the possible need for additional testing. Together with their doctors, women should develop a screening schedule that is appropriate for their individual health histories and values.
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Mammograms
We know there are certain factors that increase your risk of developing breast cancer during your lifetime. It is important to determine your risk of developing breast cancer. Every woman who gets a screening or diagnostic mammogram within the Froedtert & MCW health network automatically receives a risk assessment as part of the mammogram.
- There is no added cost.
- The risk assessment does not add more than a minute or two to your mammogram appointment.
You will be asked a series of questions that will help determine your risk factors. You can answer the questions as part of your appointment PreCheck-In if you are a MyChart user. If you do not use MyChart, the mammogram technician will ask the questions at your mammogram appointment.
When you receive your mammogram results via MyChart or as a letter in the mail, the results of your risk assessment will be included, along with information about your breast tissue density.
If you are at high risk of developing breast cancer, you are eligible for breast MRI, in addition to your yearly mammogram, according to American Cancer Society guidelines. You may also be eligible for an appointment with our high-risk breast experts to discuss ways to lower risk or with a genetic counselor to see if genetic testing is right for you. A nurse coordinator will follow up with you to explain your results and help you make appointments.
Know about your breast cancer risk factors
- There are certain factors you cannot control that put you at higher risk for breast cancer, like age, family history of breast cancer and any known genetic mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2.
- There are lifestyle factors you can control to decrease your breast cancer risk like keeping a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, exercising and avoiding alcohol.
