Where You Get Your Mammogram Matters

Q. There is conflicting information about when to get a mammogram. When should I get mine?
A: The conflicting information can be confusing, but all medical organizations with expertise in breast cancer care agree that annual screening mammography beginning at age 40 saves the most lives. Talk with your doctor about screening earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors. The University of Kansas Health System offers a complete array of state-of-the-art technology, including 3-D mammography and supplemental screening equipment, for patients who are high-risk or have dense breast tissue.

Q. What is the benefit of having a dedicated breast radiologist read my
mammogram?
A: Dedicated breast radiologists are specially trained to read mammograms and they focus only on breast imaging. The University of Kansas Health System has breast radiologists who read mammograms day in and day out. For this reason, they are better at detecting cancer earlier, when it is most treatable, and recognizing when something is a false alarm. They are also experts at providing a second opinion to confirm if a positive diagnosis is correct. ■

Written by: Onalisa Winblad, MD

Onalisa Winblad, MD, is a board-certified radiologist at The University of Kansas Health System with expertise in breast imaging and breast biopsies. Dr. Winblad completed a breast imaging fellowship at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis, Missouri. She works alongside three other fellowship-trained, dedicated breast radiologists at the academic medical center.