Mammography is an x-ray exam of the breasts to detect lumps when they’re too small to be detected by physical examination. These small lumps can indicate early stage breast cancer. Because size of the cancer at diagnosis is one of the most important predictors of outcome, mammography can lead to finding and treating breast cancer in its earliest and most curable stage, nearly one to three years before you might feel the lump in your breast.
Digital mammography is available at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. This technology is when the x-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert x-rays into electrical signals allowing for the radiologist to capture and manipulate the images so abnormalities can be seen more easily. These detectors are similar to those found in digital cameras. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breast that can be seen on a computer screen or printed on special film similar to conventional mammograms. From the patient's point of view, having a digital mammogram is essentially the same as having a conventional film mammogram.
Digital mammography may be recommended for:
- Women under 50 years of age
- Women with dense breasts
- Women who have not yet gone through menopause, or who have been in menopause less than one year
Know Your Breast Cancer Risk: Free Personalized Risk Assessment
Women coming to Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital imaging center for a mammogram have the opportunity to receive a free, personalized breast cancer risk assessment. Developed by a Washington University epidemiologist, our questionnaire is more detailed and more accurate than the risk assessment used by most hospitals. It also better identifies women at high risk who may benefit from breast cancer prevention strategies, including lifestyle changes or surveillance programs.
If you participate in the free assessment, you will receive a letter indicating whether you are at average risk or at above-average risk for developing breast cancer. Your health care provider will receive a letter indicating your risk by percentage. Have a question about our risk assessment program? Contact nurse coordinator Pat Fisher,BSN, RN, at 314-747-2667 or at patricia.fisher@wustl.edu
Scheduling Your Mammogram:
- Appointments are recommended, call 314-996-8080 or toll-free 844-542-9378.
- Mammograms are in the Medical Office Building 969, click here for directions.
- Every mammogram is read by Washington University radiologists that specialize in comprehensive breast imaging.
Additional Imaging Information
Contact Us
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a radiologist, call Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital at 314.996.8080.
We are conveniently located just one mile west of I-270 on Olive Blvd., at Olive and Mason in Creve Coeur, Missouri - a west county suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Get directions to our Imaging Locations.