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Listen as Dr. Lebovic shows how a mammogram test is performed.
Dr. Lebovic:
Mammography is our best defense against breast cancer because with a mammogram, we can find breast cancer before you can feel it. Now, the way that’s done is with the mammography unit and this is a digital mammography unit, which is brand new and the images taken with very low dose of radiation and then it goes directly to the computer where the radiologist can look at the mammogram. Now, many women are afraid to get a mammogram because they are afraid it might hurt and the good news is there is now something that actually decreases pain when you get a mammogram and it is called the MammoPad. It is a foam pad that’s soft and what happens is the technician puts it on the mammogram machine like this and it pads the surface so that it’s nice and warm and soft. The breast is placed here and then the technician will lower the paddle so that it evens the breast tissue out again, so that we can use a very low dose of radiation. That’s why we need compression. So, whatever you do, don’t be afraid to get your mammogram. You can ask for a MammoPad and make sure that everyone you love gets their mammogram every year after the age of 40.
About Dr. Gail Lebovic, M.D., M.A., F.A.C.S.:
Dr. Gail Lebovic is the President of the American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD). She earned a B.A. in physiology and anatomy and a master's in endocrinology from University of California, Berkeley. In 1986, she received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine. After an internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, she performed her surgical residency at Stanford University Medical Center and completed two fellowships – one in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast and another at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Lebovic is certified by the American Board of Surgery and her areas of special medical interest include diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast, and management of congenital breast deformities. She has also invented several medical devices and co-founded a number of companies in the area of women's health including Biolucent, Inc., makers of the MammoPad™ breast cushion designed to make mammography more comfortable.
Visit Dr. Lebovic at the American Society of Breast Disease