Private breast screening mammogram

For most people, their scans will come back normal, meaning there were no signs of cancer. This is reassuring, but you should continue to keep an eye on your breast health by: 

• Attending any scans or appointments offered to you by the NHS
• Regularly checking your breasts for lumps or changes
• Lowering your risk of breast cancer with healthy lifestyle choices

If you notice any change to your breast after a mammogram, get checked out straight away. Even if your last mammogram was normal, some types of breast cancer grow quickly, or it’s possible the cancer didn’t show on the scan. 

Sometimes, a mammogram picks up changes to the breasts, like very small lumps. This doesn’t always mean you have cancer. If we see anything on your scan that needs further checks, we’ll call you to discuss the next steps. These could be: 

• Coming to our one stop breast clinics to have extra imaging and/or a biopsy, and an appointment with one of our experienced breast cancer consultants
• GenesisCare writing to your GP to refer you back into the NHS, so that you can have your scans or tests with them

If your follow-up tests show that you have breast cancer, you can choose to have your treatment with us or within the NHS. 

A mammogram is a scan that uses X-rays to create an image of the inside of your breast.

We offer advanced mammogram techniques:

• Digital mammogram – the scan is turned into a digital image and analysed on a computer
• 3D digital mammogram (tomosynthesis) – uses multiple X-rays to create a 3D picture of your breast

Digital imaging allows your doctor to quickly check for signs of breast cancer.

A mammogram screening can find early changes and cancers in breast tissue, even ones that are too small to feel. Our advanced technology also detects calcium build-ups, which can be a sign of pre-cancer.

If the scan finds something, it doesn’t always mean cancer. One of our experts will discuss your results with you and whether any more tests are needed.

Having a mammogram at our clinic is fast, easy, and our experienced team will help you to feel comfortable. The scan takes 10-15 minutes. 

1. When you come to the clinic, you will meet the radiographer who will explain what's going to happen next
2. You'll get undressed to the waist, removing your top and bra
3. The mammogram is usually done standing up and the radiographer will help you get into the right position
4. Your breast is placed between two plates, which press it gently but firmly to keep it still during the scan
5. The pressure can be a little uncomfortable, but each scan only lasts a few seconds
6. The scan is repeated at a different angle, so you will have 2 scans on each breast

You can leave shortly after the scan is finished.

People experience mammograms differently. Some don’t find it painful at all, most people find it uncomfortable, and for others, it can be painful.

Whether your mammogram is painful can depend on: 

• If you have small or dense breasts or breast implants, then it may be more uncomfortable
• If you are close to your menstrual cycle, your breasts can be more tender
• The angle that the scans are taken from

Our mammographer will help you feel as relaxed as possible, and you can ask them to stop at any time. 

Our mammograms take between 10 - 15 minutes in total. During this time, we scan each breast twice – one from top to bottom and one from side to side. Each individual scan takes a few seconds. 

If you're 40+, symptom-free and not pregnant you can have a yearly private mammogram with us.

If you notice any lumps, pain, or signs of breast cancer, it’s important to get checked again immediately, even if you've recently had a mammogram. 

If you are aged 50 – 71 years, you can get breast cancer screening on the NHS every 3 years. If breast cancer runs in your family, you may receive earlier or more regular screening.

You should still attend any screening invitations from the NHS, even if you’ve had a private mammogram. 

Breast tomosynthesis, or a 3D digital mammogram uses multiple X-rays to create a detailed 3D picture of your breast. They are often used for seeing detailed images of younger women’s breasts and those who have dense breast tissue.

What about radiation risk?

Mammograms use X-rays to create an image of the inside of your breast. Mammography uses radiation to achieve these images, but there is a very low risk to you. The scan is equivalent to a few months of naturally occurring ‘background’ radiation.  You can find out more about radiation risks here: Ionising radiation: dose comparisons - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)