Are Mammograms Safe?

Dr. Jennifer Harvey answers the question: 'Are mammograms safe?'

By
Jennifer Harvey, M.D., Director, Breast Imaging; Co-Director, Breast Program, University of Virginia
September 26, 2007, 5:22 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: Are mammograms safe?

Answer: Mammography is very safe. The radiation dose from a mammogram is very low. I think what most people may not realize is that we are exposed to radiation every day, from cosmic radiation from the sun, from granite in our bedrock. So we are exposed to low doses of radiation every day and that dose that we get from a mammogram is very low, it only increases from what we get every day slightly. The radiation dose is less than if you took a round trip air flight from one coast to the other and back.

Next: Does Having a Previous Biopsy or a Lumpectomy Make It More Difficult to Interpret a Mammogram?

Previous: How Accurate Are Mammograms?