Breast Cancer Department - Women's Imaging Center at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early.

Needle wire localization is a procedure used to mark an area of abnormal breast tissue that was found on a mammogram.

Breast MRI uses radio waves and strong magnets to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast.

A breast biopsy is a procedure to remove a small sample of breast tissue for laboratory testing. A breast biopsy is a way to evaluate a suspicious area in your breast.

Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. It is used to help diagnose the causes of pain, swelling and infection in the body and to examine a baby in pregnant women and the brain and hips in infants.

3D mammograms are used to better detect cancer in women with dense breasts. This procedure is also called breast tomosynthesis.

A bone-density test is a way to measure the strength of your bones. The test, called a DEXA scan, is a kind of x-ray. Many people get a bone-density test every few years. The main reason to have the test is to find and treat serious bone loss.

According to the American Cancer Society Standards, monthly breast exams along with yearly mammograms are considered to be the biggest aid in diagnosing breast cancer. Women age 40 and older should get an annual screening mammogram even if they appear to show no breast symptoms.