Can you have mammogram while breastfeeding

Find Doctors Services Locations. Medical Professionals. Research Community. Medical Learners. Job Seekers. Healthy UH View more from this blog. For example: The average size of lump detected with a routine mammogram is about the size of a blueberry. The average size of a lump detected with the first mammogram is about the size of a hazelnut.

The average size of lump found by regular breast self-exam is about the size of a small grape. The average size of a lump found accidentally is about the size of a small strawberry.

Related Links Breast cancer cannot be prevented but early detection can keep the disease from spreading and greatly increase your odds for a favorable outcome. Subscribe RSS. It's time to share the most important message of all: Mammograms save lives. Get one. Is a Mammogram Safe During Breastfeeding? What If I Need a Biopsy?

It would be potentially dangerous and inappropriate to delay a diagnostic evaluation for that time period. Often, though, mammograms and sonograms are used in healthy women to screen for breast cancer when there are presently no breast symptoms or problems.

In cases in which a screening study is recommended, a woman should talk to her doctor about the pros and cons of undergoing breast screening imaging while she is lactating. It should be noted that the breast tissue of a woman early on in lactation may be denser than later in lactation when a child typically nurses less frequently.

Therefore, image quality may be better later on in lactation than during the early months of breastfeeding. This should also be considered when planning the timing of screening imaging. The decision of when to start breast screening imaging should be made after careful consideration and discussion with a physician who is well-versed in breast cancer risk assessment and screening.

It may be helpful for a breastfeeding woman to have a mammogram or breast sonogram performed at a breast imaging center that uses dedicated breast radiologists rather than radiologists who do not focus on breast imaging and who therefore have less experience interpreting breast images. X-rays do not affect human milk 4 , so you can safely resume nursing immediately after the mammogram.

If you have a biopsy or surgery you may need to adjust breastfeeding positions for a time to avoid putting pressure on the sore spot, or to express milk while you heal. Your local LLL Leader can help with suggestions — find local support here.

Cancer and Breastfeeding. Breast Cancer Res Treat Nov , 11 9 : For best printing results, open the llli. Although you can view the site well in any browser, printing from other browsers might not operate correctly. Click the Print button that is displayed on the web page not the Print command on the browser menu or toolbar.