The Art of the Mammogram
Being a mammogram technologist is a good news-bad news proposition. In the vast majority of instances, women taking advantage of the best technology available for detecting breast cancer receive the good news they are hoping for.
On occasion, of course, the news is not as good, but even then it usually comes with the silver lining that the mammogram has detected the cancer at an early stage, when treatment is highly effective.
Because the stakes are so high, the technologists in Mercy’s Mammography Department are committed to ensuring their patients have the most positive experience possible during their exam.
“I really enjoy the camaraderie that develops during the short time I spend with each woman,” says Kelly Griffith, who, like all of Mercy’s mammography technologists, offers patients the special training, knowledge and sensitivity that many years of mammography experience brings.
Griffith, who has been performing mammograms for many years, says
“There really is an art to doing a mammogram well. And when I give an exam, my goal is to get the very best possible image every time because the result is so important.”
Griffith says she is encouraged to see that over the years a growing number of women are having mammograms. “I do think women are getting better about having regular screenings,” she says. “They are getting more proactive about their own health.”
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to start thinking about having your mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for all women beginning at age 40 and, Griffith says, her patients often will schedule their test around their birthdays. That serves as about the best reminder there is that another year has passed and it’s time to take this important step to take care of yourself.