Reducing Mammogram-Related Stress

By Robin Westen

As a medical writer, I should know better than to wait five years for a mammography. But maybe I know too much. Out of 2,500 women getting a mammogram, around one thousand will have to endure the stress of being told there’s something suspicious. As a result, five hundred will have a biopsy. And, between 5 and 15 of these women will be treated unnecessarily.Still, that's no reason to postpone it. It can be a lifesaver. My mammogram was fine and I’m very grateful. But it got me to thinking about ways to lessen stress. Next time I’ll…

Book Ahead

We have so much pressure in our lives it’s not surprising a recent survey indicated that 19% of women said they had too little time for the test. Book an appointment first thing in the morning so you can get in quickly and reduce anxious downtime in the waiting room.

Give Background info Be sure to mention if you have had any type of breast surgery. Implants require extra time for imaging, while scar tissue can look suspicious on an X-ray film. Alerting the center can reduce the odds of a false alarm.

Have Your Records Ready If you’ve had previous mammograms performed at other screening centers, call each facility and have your films transferred to the new imaging center. This provides the radiologist with a better understanding of what’s normal for your breast.

Manage Pain If you know from experience that you’re one of the twenty-five percent of women who avoid the test because of “too much pain,” ask your doctor how you can reduce discomfort. You might be advised to temporarily avoid caffeine (which causes breast tenderness), reduce salt intake, or take a pain medication prior to your screening.

Choose the Right Wardrobe Because a mammogram is generally performed while a patient stands, it’s best to wear sensible, low-heeled shoes that allow you to remain perfectly still while images are captured. If you wear a two piece outfit (rather than a dress, for example), you can remain in your regular clothes from the waist down and stay modest through-out the screening.

Take the Stress Out of Waiting According to a Harvard study, waiting days for the results of a breast biopsy appears to affect the stress hormone, cortisol, just as much as finding out you have cancer does. Average wait time for results is 2.5 days, but many women have to wait five days or longer. Try proven ways to reduce cortisol levels such as yoga, tai chi, massage and meditation.