Understanding Your Mammogram Report
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Get to Know the Terminologies Used in the Report
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that doctors may order as a routine checkup or screening test for breast cancer. The procedure plays a big role in diagnosing breast cancer in the early stages where it’s easily treatable.
If you recently got a mammogram, having a copy of the results in your hands but not knowing what it means can be frustrating. That’s why it helps to know the terminologies and jargon written in your mammogram report. This will help you understand the report and determine if there’s something wrong with your body.
How to Read Your Mammogram Results
Since the 1980s, radiologists have been using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to interpret mammogram results. The BI-RADS scoring system ranges from 0 to 6. Oftentimes, women over 40 years old can have mammogram results ranging from 0 to 2. Typically, a score of 3 and above indicates an abnormality. In this case, doctors may recommend a follow-up checkup or biopsy.
Breast Cancer Car Donations explains the scoring system to help you understand your mammogram report.
1. Category 0
If you receive a score of 0, it indicates that the images in your mammogram are either incomplete or inconclusive. Various reasons can lead to this result, such as images that are too blurry or obscured to be thoroughly evaluated. In such cases, healthcare professionals, including radiologists, may recommend that you undergo another mammogram to obtain a more definitive assessment.
2. Category 1
If your mammogram score is 1, it means that no abnormalities were detected in your breast tissue. However, it’s essential to continue getting a mammogram once a year to monitor any changes in your breast health.
3. Category 2
Mammograms with a score of 2 also indicate normal results. This is the case even if your doctor finds a non-cancerous abnormality, like a benign cyst, in your mammogram images. They may require you to undergo a biopsy for further examination. Routine hospital visits are usually recommended for women with a mammogram score of 2.
4. Category 3
A score of 3 in your mammogram report indicates changes in your breast tissue that are most likely benign but have a slight chance of being malignant. With this score, you may need to go back and take another mammogram after six months to confirm that the abnormality isn’t cancerous. If the findings are still inconclusive, your doctor may require you to undergo yet another mammogram until your results are back to normal.
5. Category 4
A mammogram with a category 4 score suggests a suspicious finding in the breast tissue. Your doctor may inform you that there’s a 20% to 35% chance that the abnormality found in your breast tissue is cancerous. They may order you to undergo a series of diagnostic tests to confirm the breast cancer diagnosis.
6. Category 5
A score of 5 indicates a high chance of breast cancer. Your doctor may tell you that the abnormality has a 95% chance of being cancerous. To confirm their suspicion, they may advise you to undergo a biopsy to further examine the abnormal tissue.
7. Category 6
Category 6 mammograms are only possible if a person has undergone a biopsy and received a breast cancer diagnosis. This type of mammogram may be used as a comparison to the previous images to determine how the cancer is responding to treatment.
Do You Want to Support a Worthy Cause?
Getting a breast cancer diagnosis after a mammogram is particularly devastating to women who are uninsured and can’t afford the high costs of breast cancer treatment.
But all hope is not lost. You can extend them a lifeline by simply donating any vehicle you can spare to us at Breast Cancer Car Donations. We will use your donation to provide life-saving medical assistance to the uninsured and indigent women in your community who have been diagnosed with the disease.
Our team will put your donated vehicle up for auction, with the proceeds going to our nonprofit partners. These IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofits are dedicated to helping save the lives of breast cancer patients, using the funding that we give them to provide their beneficiaries with financial assistance to help cover the costs of their full treatment, doctor consultations, hospital fees, medications, follow-up care, and other essential healthcare services they need.
Furthermore, our charity partners provide concerned women with easy access to top cancer centers where they can get free breast cancer screening and diagnosis. They are also active in promoting breast cancer awareness and providing prevention, education, and counseling services to the public.
Your charitable contribution will also benefit you immensely. One of the perks you’ll get is getting entitled to receive the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.
We’ll also provide you with our free pickup and towing service anywhere in the United States.
The most satisfying reward you’ll get, however, is the awesome experience of doing an act of charity that will help save lives.
We accept almost all types of vehicles in our donation program. They don’t even have to be in good condition. We’d be happy to take in damaged and even non-running vehicles.
To get to know our quick and painless donation program, check out our FAQs page. You can also call Breast Cancer Car Donations anytime through our toll-free hotline at 866-540-5069 or write to us here if you have certain concerns or inquiries that you want us to address.
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Use Your Old Car to Fight Breast Cancer Today!
That old car sitting in your garage can save lives. Join the fight against breast cancer by donating that vehicle to Breast Cancer Car Donations. Call us at 866-540-5069 or fill out our secure online donation form now!