Have you been invited to the population screening? The letter tells you to come to a local screening centre, where they will take X-rays of your breasts. We call these mammograms or breast X-rays. Physicians examine the X-rays and look for anomalies that could indicate breast cancer. A visit to the screening centre takes about 20 minutes. It takes approximately 5 minutes to take the X-rays. What exactly can you expect?
A mammogram in five steps
1. Go to the location
The population screening takes place at local screening centre. That is usually a bus.
2. Report to the desk
When you enter the screening centre, first report to the desk. The employee asks for your identification and registers you. You are then directed to the waiting area.
3. Preparing for the screening test
When it is your turn, you go into a dressing room. You undress from the waist up. You will then go through another door to the screening room.
4. Taking the X-rays
In the screening room, an employee takes the breast X-rays. Your breast is placed on one plate and is briefly compressed with another plate. This is necessary to get a good picture, with the least radiation possible. The compression can be sensitive or painful. The employee tries to make the screening as comfortable as possible. You can always indicate if you are concerned or uncomfortable. Sometimes your breasts may remain sensitive for a few days after the screening. The employee takes 2 X-rays of each breast. At the end, the employee cleans the plates.
5. Completion: review of the X-rays
After the screening, you can get dressed and return to the waiting room. The employee will tell you if the X-rays were successful. If something went wrong with the X-rays, extra pictures are taken immediately. The Centre for Population Screening will send you a letter with the result within 2 weeks.
Recommendations for the screening
- Stop using zinc ointment on your breasts 3 weeks before the screening.
- Do not apply ointment, powder or body lotion to your breasts before the screening. You can use deodorant.
- Wear upper garments that can be easily removed, so you can quickly undress and get dressed again.
- If you want, you can bring a cover to wear while you wait.
- Go to the toilet at home before you visit the centre. There is no toilet in the bus.
- Please bring your valid ID (passport, ID card or driver's license).
- Bring the invitation letter with you. You can answer the questions on the back of the letter at home.
Good to know: The staff at the research centre are almost all women. If there is a man on duty, but you would you rather be helped by a woman, you can always indicate this. There is always a female employee present.
Frequently asked questions about the mammogram:
It does not matter how big your breasts are. When taking the breast X-ray, the breast is compressed between 2 plates. It is almost always possible to capture good images.
The device does not take into account the size of the breasts. This can make it a little more unpleasant for women with small breasts. At the same time, studies show that this varies from person to person. In fact, in a study in Norway, women with smaller breasts experienced less discomfort than women with medium-sized breasts.
Yes. Even if you have neck pain, or pain in your shoulders or upper back, you can still have your breasts X-rayed. When taking the X-rays, you must lift up your arm and turn your head to the side. Please tell us in advance about your symptoms. The employee will take these into account as much as possible.
Yes. You can still take part in the population screening if you have a nipple piercing.
At the moment, a mammogram is the best way to detect breast cancer early in a large group of women.
Many studies are being conducted into other ways to improve breast screening. There is a mamma CT scan or a blood test that checks for proteins that can predict the development of breast cancer. These studies sometimes seem promising, but they are not yet good enough to replace the mammogram.
No. The pressure used to take the images is not harmful. The mammogram has been in use for over 50 years and is safe.
This is to ensure that the results of your screening are sent to the right person.