Mammography: Squeezing the Breasts?

The compression pressure used during a mammogram is not preset, since breasts can vary greatly. The healthcare professional performing the mammogram takes into account, on the one hand, the minimum pressure needed to obtain a reliable X-ray image and, on the other hand, what the woman (or man, since men can also undergo a mammogram) can tolerate. Insufficient pressure results in a less reliable image, which is why the professional always tries to find the level that is just barely tolerable—and it’s important to grit your teeth for a moment. Larger breasts cannot be compressed as much as smaller ones, because it is simply too painful.

Still, that doesn’t make the screening any less reliable. Larger breasts typically contain more fatty tissue, in which tumors stand out more clearly on an X-ray. The situation is different for breasts with a high proportion of glandular tissue. In the case of dense breasts, a mammogram is less reliable, and if there is any doubt, an MRI scan will be recommended.

The compression applied during a mammogram is not harmful to the breast. And the pain lasts only a very short time.

Read our tips for minimizing the pain of a mammogram.

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