With a New Year comes new health goals, and taking care of your breast health is a resolution every woman can make. We know that life gets busy, and other priorities and responsibilities can make it easy to push health goals to the bottom of the list, but there’s no better time to decide where and when to get your mammogram — and other imaging — and renew your commitment to annual screening this year.
At Charlotte Radiology, we make it easy and convenient to schedule a screening mammogram. Whether this year will be your first mammogram or you have been screening for years, choosing Charlotte Radiology for your breast health needs is as simple as picking up the phone or going online to schedule an appointment. No doctor referral is necessary for an annual screening mammogram, which means you can self-schedule at any time. For women age 40 and over, most insurance companies cover annual screening 100% as essential care.
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Care You Can Trust
At Charlotte Radiology, we are committed to providing an exceptional patient experience. Our experienced, all-female technologists perform screening mammograms using advanced 3D imaging technology as the standard of care for mammography. 3D imaging offers enhanced image quality and greater precision, allowing doctors to detect and diagnose breast cancer in earlier stages when it’s most treatable.
Charlotte Radiology also offers expertise in breast health. Our board-certified Radiologists are subspecialized in mammography, providing advanced screening and diagnostic imaging, as well as procedures for the diagnosis of breast health concerns. These include:
- Diagnostic Mammograms: When further evaluation of a breast concern is needed, your physician may order a diagnostic mammogram. Diagnostic mammography provides physicians with more information to help characterize a change in breast tissue and detect whether cancer is present or not. It is helpful in evaluating patients with a history of breast cancer or those experiencing symptoms such as a lump. Additionally, a doctor might order a diagnostic mammogram when anything is found on a screening mammogram that requires follow-up. In this instance, a patient is “called back” for additional evaluation.
- Breast MRI: When used with screening and diagnostic mammography, breast MRI provides additional details of changes in the breast for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. MRI is a highly advanced technology that provides images of soft tissue in the breast. Women who are considered at higher risk for developing breast cancer will typically have breast MRI added to their breast surveillance protocol with the goal of detecting even the smallest of changes early on.
- Abbreviated Breast MRI: This is a shorter version of a breast MRI that focuses on the most important images for detecting breast cancer. ABMRI is an option for women who qualify, including those with dense breast tissue who may be at average or intermediate risk for developing breast cancer. A physician order is needed for this exam.
- Breast Ultrasound: When used with screening and diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound is an imaging technology that helps physicians further evaluate a specific breast concern, like a lump. Breast ultrasound utilizes sound waves instead of radiation to scan the breast, providing additional information to characterize any changes in the breast that may require further imaging or biopsy.
- Needle Biopsy of the Breast: A breast biopsy is performed when an area of concern found through diagnostic imaging needs to be further probed. In a needle biopsy of the breast, the radiologist takes a small sample of breast tissue to send to a pathology lab to be studied so that the concern can be better characterized for diagnosis and treatment.
When you have a mammogram or other breast imaging done at Charlotte Radiology, you can rest assured you are in the hands of breast health experts who are subspecialized in mammography and procedures and passionate about providing the highest level of patient care. Our team of all-female technologists along with our board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists are committed to providing you with precise, reliable results, and our compassionate nurse navigators are ready to help should you need additional care following imaging.
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Screening at Your Convenience
We know that it can be challenging to fit your own health and well care appointments into your busy schedule. After all, your days are already packed with work, family commitments and routine tasks. But annual screening mammograms save lives, and that’s why Charlotte Radiology makes it easy to get yours done. We offer 17 convenient locations throughout North and South Carolina, with evening and weekend appointments available at select locations. And when you come in for your annual screening appointment, in most cases you’ll be in and out in 20 minutes or less, getting you back to your busy day in no time.
Never Skip a Screening
When you have a go-to imaging center like Charlotte Radiology, you’re less likely to skip a routine screening. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network screening guidelines recommend that all women age 40 and older at average risk of developing breast cancer get annual screening mammograms as well as physical exams with their primary care or OBGYN physician. Additionally, it is recommended that women with a higher-than-average risk, such as those with a family history of breast cancer, should start screening before age 40 to develop a baseline. Ideally, this should happen by age 30.
Women should have a conversation with their doctor to determine the best time to start screening mammograms. After getting a mammogram or other imaging at Charlotte Radiology, results are sent to you via the patient portal and to your referring provider or primary care physician so you can discuss the results with them.
In addition to breast health imaging, Charlotte Radiology offers an array of other women’s health imaging services, including DEXA bone density screening at select breast centers, as well as general imaging needs for vein care and interventional radiology for procedures such as uterine fibroid embolization to relieve fibroids. By choosing Charlotte Radiology for your women’s health needs, you’ll have a dedicated partner for all your imaging needs.
