Charlotte Radiology mammography technologist Rebecca Marsee, R.T.(R)(M), knows one thing for certain: She’ll never be late scheduling her annual screening mammogram again.
In 2019, Rebecca was two months behind on scheduling her mammogram when she felt a lump in her left breast. Within weeks, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44.
Rebecca’s breast cancer journey led her to a career she loves: helping women as a mammography technologist. In this role, Rebecca does more than use technical skills to take high-quality images during patient mammography exams. She also puts her patients at ease by helping to navigate them through every step of the exam, explaining everything with empathy and compassion.
From Patient to Mammography Professional
Rebecca knows the importance of annual screening mammograms and early detection of breast cancer better than most. Starting screening mammograms at age 40 — or earlier if you’re at high risk for breast cancer — can help find cancer up to three years before a lump can be felt and when it can be treated with less invasive therapies. Mammography is the only clinically proven imaging exam to reduce breast cancer deaths by more than 40%, according to the American College of Radiology.
After learning she had breast cancer, Rebecca had a lumpectomy — surgery to remove the cancer from her breast — followed by six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation therapy. Once treatment was completed, she returned to school to finish her X-ray education program, which she’d been in the middle of completing when breast cancer upended her plans.
“I finished my X-ray degree, but the whole time, I knew I wanted to do something with breast imaging because of the care I’d received,” Rebecca says. “I felt like breast cancer didn’t happen to me for no reason and that becoming a mammography technologist was my purpose.”
The Path to Becoming a Mammography Technologist
Mammography technologists — also known as mammographers — like Rebecca must meet extensive training and educational requirements to perform this specialized type of advanced imaging, including:
- Completing at least two academic years of X-ray training to qualify as a licensed radiologic technologist
- Obtaining a state radiography license or receiving general radiography certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or another federally approved certification organization
- Completing 40 hours of mammography training and performing 25 mammograms under the supervision of a mammography technologist who meets Mammography Quality Standards Act standards
- Perform an additional 75 mammograms logged through ARRT
- Completing eight hours of training in specific types of mammography, such as digital 3D mammography
Mammography technologists stay up to date on the latest technologies and techniques in their field by completing continuing education requirements every few years. They keep their skills sharp by meeting a minimum threshold for the number of mammograms they perform over a two-year period.
Rebecca completed the clinical education and other requirements to become a mammography technologist before being hired at Charlotte Radiology, where she works at the Blakeney Breast Center. She has two years of clinical experience performing mammograms.
Read More: Breast Cancer Risk and Family History — Learn the Facts
A Day in the Life of a Mammography Technologist
When a patient arrives for her mammogram, Rebecca meets with her before the exam to obtain her medical history and asks if the patient is experiencing any breast problems. After the patient changes into a gown, Rebecca escorts her into the imaging room and provides a detailed explanation of the mammography process. Often, this includes addressing any concerns about how the compression will feel. Rebecca reassures patients that it should only be uncomfortable, not painful and lasts just 10 to 15 seconds.
With the patient properly positioned, Rebecca takes multiple 3D images.
“I always pull up a patient’s prior images, so I can compare the imaging I’m taking with the previous ones to ensure I’m getting the same amount of breast tissue, if not more, than before,” she says. “I position patients so I can get the best images possible.”
Rebecca guides the patient throughout the exam to help ease any nervousness and make her feel as comfortable as possible. Afterward, they discuss when the patient can expect to see her results.
“Patients are glad when the test is over, but they always say it wasn’t as bad as they thought. They’re glad they did it, and they’ll be back next year,” Rebecca says. “They recognize they’ve done something good and important for their health.”
For Rebecca, helping women prioritize their health is gratifying. It’s also meaningful to be part of a collaborative team of mammography technologists and board-certified, subspecialized radiologists at Charlotte Radiology who provide expert care for patients.
“I was ecstatic when Charlotte Radiology asked me to interview and then, ultimately, hired me,” Rebecca says. “I couldn’t wait to begin a new part of my life as a mammography technologist because it meant I could put away the bad part with cancer and look to something more optimistic.”
Motivation and Inspiration as a Survivor
Cancer-free for five years now, Rebecca is eager to spread the word about the importance of early detection. After finding the lump in her breast during a routine breast self-exam, she stresses their importance to her sisters and nieces. It’s a great way, she says, to get to know your breasts and look for signs of breast cancer.
Rebecca is clear on her motivation for having annual screening mammograms.
“My reason is me and my husband,” she says. “I want to be here with him. We’ve been married 22 years, and I want to be married at least 22 more.”
Expertise at Work
Mammography technology continues to evolve, providing patients with advanced early detection options. Charlotte Radiology offers 3D digital mammography — the most advanced technology for early breast cancer detection — as our standard of care for all annual screening mammograms. If you have dense breasts or are at high risk for breast cancer due to family history or other factors, your physician may order additional screening tests to supplement your annual screening mammogram. At Charlotte Radiology, we offer these specialized breast imaging exams, including breast MRI, abbreviated breast MRI, screening breast ultrasound and automated breast ultrasound.
As breast imaging technologies, techniques and training evolve, one constant is the importance of the mammography technologist. From ensuring optimal patient positioning to obtaining high-quality images for our radiologists to review, our technologists go above and beyond for every patient.
Read More: The Important Roles of 3D Mammography and Screening Breast Ultrasound in Early Detection
Empathy in Action
Sometimes, the most meaningful gestures of empathy are the simplest. That’s evident in the way Rebecca and her fellow mammography technologists tailor their approach to each patient. Making conversation, explaining what to expect and respecting modesty by allowing patients to cover their bodies as much as possible during the exam, provided it doesn’t interfere with obtaining high-quality images, all help to make patients feel more comfortable throughout the process.
Steps like these help Rebecca better support her patients. For her, getting high-quality images is the best expression of good patient care.
“The most rewarding part of my job is getting good images, sending them to the radiologists and, hopefully, being able to help patients,” Rebecca says. “The most challenging part is seeing patients get called back for additional imaging and not knowing what we’ll find. It hits hard for me because I’ve been through that. I hope and pray they won’t have the same outcome I did in terms of finding cancer.”
Rebecca’s most important message for women is simple: Get your annual screening mammogram.
“Early detection is definitely the key to a better outcome,” she says. “If you get screening mammograms regularly, there’s a better chance of finding the cancer before you could feel it. If it’s in the earliest stages, your treatment options might be less invasive — and potentially more effective — so you can say, ‘I’m a Survivor,’ just like me.”
