The message is clear during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October: Don’t skip your mammogram. Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 3 new cancers in women in the United States each year, and early detection is key.

With a few simple steps, you can make your next screening mammogram a breeze and stay on top of your breast health.

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center’s mobile mammography unit makes it convenient to keep up with annual screening mammograms. The 38-foot purple bus brings mammograms to community events in Brunswick County.

Annotation 2024-09-27 115725
Mammography technologist Kara Kiscaden demonstrates how 3D mammography technology works aboard Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center's mobile mammography unit.

Kara Kiscaden, a mammography technologist aboard the mobile mammography unit, knows firsthand the fears and misconceptions that keep women from getting a mammogram. "A lot of times, they're 60 years old and they've never had one," she said.

But Kiscaden is quick to reassure these patients — the procedure is over in a flash, and the peace of mind it provides is well worth it. "It's not like it used to be," she said. "We're in and out in about 15 minutes."

Kiscaden offers these tips to make your next screening mammogram the easiest part of your day.

Take control of your breast health. Schedule a mammogram today, no referral needed, at a convenient location in the Triad, Charlotte or Wilmington region.

Schedule a mammogram

7 tips to prepare for your mammogram

1. Let your care team know if you have limited mobility. You’ll typically be standing for your mammogram, so when you schedule an appointment, let your care team know if you’ll be using a walker, cane, scooter or wheelchair. They’ll help with accommodations to ensure you remain comfortable while still receiving accurate imaging. The mobile mammography unit requires four stairs for entry access, while Novant Health clinics are accessible for people with disabilities.

2. Report any findings from your monthly breast self-exams. If you’ve noticed any changes in the feel or appearance in your breast(s), let your mammography technologist know. You know your breasts best, and you can help point out any issues that need to be checked.

3. Wear a two-piece outfit. You’ll only need to undress from the waist up, so a two-piece outfit is best. You’ll receive a loose cotton gown that ties in front to wear on top. You can remain dressed in your own bottoms and shoes. After changing in a private room, you’ll enter the room where the imaging machine is located.

4. Avoid wearing deodorant, antiperspirant, powders and lotions. Even small particles can show up on mammography images, so it’s important to avoid using these products the day of your mammogram. Again, the mammogram only takes about 15 minutes, so you can stash products in your purse to use afterward if needed.

5. Keep a running record of your results from your breast exams. Kiscaden suggests asking your care team to provide you with your image files, especially if you move. Novant Health MyChart also helps you keep track of your results by making your health records accessible online.

6. Speak up if you experience any discomfort. A technologist will gently place your breast in a device that compresses it, taking at least four X-ray images of each breast. This shouldn’t hurt, but you may feel some pressure as the breast is compressed. If it does hurt, it’s OK to speak up so that your technologist can help you be more comfortable. “There are things that we can do to try and maneuver the breast a different way,” Kiscaden said.

7. Schedule next year’s screening mammogram with your patient experience representative at the front desk before you leave the clinic. It’s easy to let life intervene and delay that yearly exam. Kiscaden advises that you make an appointment for one year plus a day later to make sure insurance will cover the procedure. You can also use MyChart or call 1-833-752-1160 to schedule a screening mammogram.


Interested in getting your screening mammogram on Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center’s mobile mammography unit? You can view its schedule of community events here or schedule an appointment by calling 910-721-1485.


Screening follow-ups and diagnostic mammograms

For years, women underwent mammograms that yielded images in 2D. Superior 3D imaging is now widely used, including in the mobile mammography unit. Many studies have found that 3D mammography appears to lower the chance of being called back after screening for follow-up testing, the American Cancer Society reports.

“Think of it like looking at a book,” Kiscaden explained. “With a 2D mammogram, you’re getting the front and back cover. With a 3D mammogram, you’re getting the front cover, the back cover, and all the pages in between.”

A 3D visual can show inside dense tissue, offering a more realistic view of the breast, and limiting the chances of a false positive, or when a screening incorrectly indicates the presence of disease when it’s not actually there. This better imaging has eased anxiety in a lot of cases by avoiding callbacks, Kiscaden continued.

If your care team does find anything in your screening mammogram imaging that requires further investigation, they’ll contact you for additional testing. This might mean a second mammogram, called a diagnostic mammogram, during which a technologist will take more X-ray images.

A radiologist will view the diagnostic mammogram images right away, during your appointment, and the results will dictate any next steps. The intent is to rule out any issues, so don’t be alarmed if you are asked for an additional test, such as a biopsy, or to return for another mammogram in six months.

While fear of the results can always be a bit scary with mammograms, they are an important step to detecting breast cancer early, when it is most treatable.

"I know it can be scary, but it's so worth it," Kiscaden said. "Just take that first step and make the appointment. Your health is worth it."