Mammography on what day of the cycle to do: is it possible during menstruation

If several decades ago, breast pathologies were diagnosed mainly in women over 40-50 years old, in recent years breast diseases have become significantly "younger". A young 20-year-old girl who has not yet had time to bear and give birth to a child can be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In order to detect the tumor process in time, there is an informative and safe examination technique - mammography. It allows you to assess the condition of the glandular tissue of the breast, make a preliminary diagnosis and choose a treatment method.

When to do mammography of the mammary glands, on what day of the monthly cycle, the correct preparation for the procedure and its conduct - this material is devoted to these issues.

The essence of the technique

Mammography is a procedure for examining the tissue structures of the mammary gland, which has long established itself as one of the most informative. It is performed on an apparatus similar to a conventional radiograph. In medical institutions, the equipment may differ depending on the specificity of the study being carried out, the power, and the accuracy of the data obtained.

Film mammography is a rather outdated method of examining breast tissue, which has a number of disadvantages:

• Difficulty diagnosing tumors that are small or that do not respond well to contrast media
• the inability to change the characteristics of the image after it has been taken;
• time-consuming process of creating images and their subsequent processing;
• impossibility of storing research data on a digital medium.

The most modern digital devices make it possible to detect a tumor in the breast at an early stage thanks to increased accuracy of the data obtained, have a lesser effect on the body by reducing the dose of radiation load. The examination results can be saved on a disk or flash drive for later transfer to a doctor and consultation.
The informative value of mammography becomes obvious when the structure of the mammary gland is changed due to the presence of a tumor.

Usually, the dominant positions in the tissues of women after 40 years are occupied by adipose and connective, but a similar picture can be observed in young girls.

For women under 40, mammography is less often prescribed due to the fact that glandular tissue predominates in their breasts, consisting of lobes that do not transmit X-rays well.

In order to obtain accurate data during the examination, it is important to find out on which day of the cycle to carry out the mammography, whether the patient has her period, if not - when should it begin. This is critical, since the density of the glandular tissue is different at different phases of the cycle.

Indications and contraindications

Compulsory mammography examination is recommended for women of any age who have found one or more signs of breast pathology:

• pain that occurs regardless of the day of the cycle;
• discharge from the nipples in the absence of lactation;
• detection of pathological foci in the structure of the gland by ultrasound, requiring additional diagnostics;
• the presence of a seal in the gland, revealed by palpation at a mammologist's appointment;
• changes in the appearance of the breast - shape, deformation, problems with the skin (skin wrinkling, crusting).

Women over 40 should undergo mammography more often, because their risk of developing a malignant tumor increases if they have the following problems:

• history of benign tumors;
• previous surgical interventions in the chest area, including for mastitis;
• endocrine system diseases (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus);
• obesity;
• tumors of the genitourinary system;
• inability to get pregnant for a long time.

When preparing for the procedure, it is important not only on which days of the monthly cycle the mammography is done, but also whether a particular patient has contraindications. Despite the safety and high accuracy of mammography, it is prohibited to carry out it in the following cases:

1. Pregnancy or suspicion of it - an alternative examination method is selected that does not involve X-ray irradiation.
2. Lactation - mammography can be done only in case of suspicion of purulent mastitis.
3. The patient's age is under 35 years old.

Women prone to the formation of benign tumors of the gland and cysts who have had mastitis, it is necessary to be monitored by a mammologist on an ongoing basis and undergo a mammographic examination for indications.

Rules for preparing for the procedure

For some women, undergoing mammography is associated with the risk of not only psychological trauma, but also physical pain, since the breast is clamped with special plates during the procedure. Experts advise not to worry about X-ray irradiation, since its dose is so small that it will not cause severe harm even with daily mammography.

The list of rules that should be followed before undergoing the procedure:

1. 1-2 days before mammography, it is important to stop taking coffee, strong tea and energy drinks.
2. Before the procedure, you must take a warm shower to cleanse the skin of dust and sweat.
3. Refrain from using antiperspirant deodorants, sprays, creams and body lotions, otherwise the device plate will become dirty, and the picture will turn out to be cloudy and uninformative.
4. Take an anesthetic pill if the patient is afraid of discomfort, having previously agreed on the action with the doctor.

If a woman has silicone implants, she should warn the radiologist about this. After mammoplasty, mammography can and should be done, but it may turn out that more images are needed.

Before the examination, the patient is asked to undress to the waist and remove jewelry made of metal. The woman approaches the apparatus, her breasts are placed on a stand, pressed on top with a special plate. The radiologist asks the patient not to breathe for 15 seconds.

During the examination, images of the two breasts are taken, since it is imperative to compare the tissues of the healthy and affected breasts. The doctor evaluates the result stored on a digital medium and makes a diagnosis.

What day of the cycle to do the examination

The functioning of the mammary glands directly depends on the level of hormones in the woman's body, which fluctuates depending on the days of the menstrual cycle. When is the best time to go for a mammogram, before or after menstruation - it depends informative value of the result, because the density and volume of the glandular tissue depends on the rate of estrogen and progesterone.

Conducting mammography during menstruation and immediately after them is undesirable.Experts comment that the best time to undergo the examination is from the 5th to the 12th day of the cycle. This fact is explained by the fact that before the critical days, the level of progesterone in the blood rises sharply. Under the action of the hormone, fluid accumulates in the lobes and interstitial spaces of the gland. The breast increases in size, becomes edematous and can hurt due to excess progesterone, so the answer to the question of whether it is possible to do mammography before the onset of menstruation is negative.

The choice of the day of the examination depends on the duration of the cycle:

1. With short intervals between critical days (21-25 days) mammography is performed 3-5 days after the cessation of bloody discharge.
2. With a cycle length of 28-30 days, it is most advisable to carry out mammography from 6 to 12 days - at this time, the effect of hormones on the glands is minimal.
3. Menstruation, which comes every 31-35 days, requires mammography from 10 to 18 days after the end of the entrance of spotting.
4. If the cycle is not regular, a mammographic examination is recommended when the spotting has completely stopped.
5. In menopause, mammography can be done whenever you want.

It is worth paying attention not only to the timing of the instrumental examination, but also to the existing age features of the female body, since sexual activity also affects the duration of the menstrual cycle.

Mammography in the first days of menstruation

To obtain reliable mammography results, it is important to correctly determine the day of its passage, since on different days and phases of the cycle, a woman's breasts are in different states. Doctors, when asked whether it is possible to go to have a mammogram during menstruation and 1–2 days before them, answer negatively, since it is problematic to diagnose a tumor during this period. Under the influence of progesterone, the glandular tissue of the breast swells, its structure becomes denser.

An additional factor that makes women refuse to undergo the procedure in the first days of menstruation is intense pain and breast tenderness. The gland cannot be qualitatively fixed between the plates of the apparatus, the results of the examination are superficial and unreliable.

Even in the last days of menstruation, a woman's breasts remain edematous, her tissues contain a lot of fluid, which is why, in the presence of a tumor, she remains unnoticed. If the examination on a mammography is urgent, then it is recommended to make an appointment with a doctor, having waited at least the last critical day, but not earlier.

In a situation when a woman did not go to a mammologist earlier, and she did not have menstruation for several months, their unexpected arrival may indicate the presence of a tumor. It is important to immediately visit the clinic and undergo a diagnosis, after showing the records of the examination to the doctor.

Examination after menstruation

After the critical days are over, you need to wait 3-4 days, and only then undergo a mammogram. With a standard 28-day cycle, the optimal time for examination is from 5 to 12 days of the cycle, when the effect of progesterone on the tissues has already weakened, and the ovulation process has not yet begun.

If the time suitable for passing the examination is missed, it is recommended to postpone it for the next month to obtain reliable results. On what day to do mammography on the machine after menstruation - in the first cyclic phase, lasting from 5 to 12 days, the woman's glands are more calm. They are not edematous, the tissue contains a minimal amount of fluid and is good for X-rays.

Breast examination for menopause

The monthly fluctuation of the hormonal background in a woman depends on the days of the cycle, but what about the patients? whose periods have already stopped, and menopause has begun - they can be examined on the device in any day. Since hormones no longer have an effect on the state of the structures of the glands, adipose tissue becomes predominant. It transmits X-rays well, the result of the study is accurate and does not depend on the days of the cycle. The mammologist will immediately help if there is a problem.

How Often Should You Get Mammography?

On which day of the monthly cycle it is better to go to a mammologist, and how often you should make a visit to a specialist, depends on the woman's age. Many patients worry that frequent examinations with an X-ray machine will harm their health and are afraid of regular examinations by a doctor. Experts say that mandatory visits to a mammologist and mammography include the following schedule:

1. It is allowed to examine the mammary glands of girls from the very beginning of puberty - the first day of menstruation, but before the age of 21, it is better to replace mammography with a safer ultrasound method.
2. At the age of 21-40 years, a mammologist should consult a woman once a year, and she should undergo mammography according to indications (if there is a suspicion of the growth of a neoplasm in the tissues of the mammary glands).
3. Women who have reached the age of 40, who have a tendency to form cysts and tumors, with a burdened heredity, should undergo an X-ray examination strictly every year.
4. Patients aged 55–65 years should have mammograms and visit a mammologist every 6 months.

The listed measures are established in accordance with the data of medical practice, but only the attending physician can choose the schedule of examinations on a mammography for a particular patient. The specialist will take into account not only the age characteristics of a woman, but also the presence of systemic diseases, hereditary predisposition to breast cancer, previous operations and other factors.

Mammography is a diagnostic method that detects breast pathologies such as cysts, malignant and benign tumors in the early stages. The examination is recommended for all women over 40 years old, especially those who have undergone multiple abortions, breast and reproductive system surgeries, who consume alcohol and smoke. It is recommended to do a mammogram in the initial phase of the cycle so that the mammogram is reliable, and the specialist does not have any problems to make the correct diagnosis. Tell the doctor about the presence of concomitant diseases and the reasons that made you seek help.

Sources:
https://vrachonkolog.msk.ru/articles-services/mammografiya-i-mesyachnye/
https://ginekola.ru/mammologiya/na-kakoj-den-tsikla-delat-mammografiyu.html
https://NogoStop.ru/grud/mammografia-na-kakoj-den-cikla.html
https://www.kp.ru/guide/mammografija.html
https://www.apteka.ua/article/406486
https://medcenter-paraskeva.eu/ru/blogs/uzd-molocnih-zaloz-ci-mamografia_n830