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Mammograms
Necessity and frequency of mammograms depends on the type of breast cancer treatment you received. We recommend the following guidelines:
Lumpectomy
A new baseline mammogram of the affected breast is often done six months after completion of initial therapy. For breast cancer patients this is called a surveillance mammogram. Many patients are able to go back to a yearly schedule of imaging their breasts soon after treatment. Have a conversation with your doctor to determine if additional surveillance or breast screening imaging techniques (like ultrasound and/or MRI) are necessary. In most cases, women will only need mammograms for surveillance after undergoing a lumpectomy.
Unilateral (one-sided) Mastectomy with or without Reconstruction
Imaging is still needed for the unaffected breast to detect any possible changes in your breast tissue. We recommend yearly surveillance mammograms on the unaffected side.
Bilateral (both sides) Mastectomy with our without Reconstruction
Women who undergo a bilateral mastectomy (the removal of both breasts) with or without reconstruction will not receive any routine imaging since essentially all of the breast tissue has been removed.