Thank you for checking out this very important page.  As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want you to educate yourselves on the importance of breast screenings.  Please take just a few minutes to review the information below... including video of my first mammogram!

Chilli Amar

Four key components for a complete breast screening

1. Annual mammogram over age 40

2. Annual clinical breast examinations

3. Breast self-examination

4. Knowing your family’s health history

To schedule your digital mammogram at Virginia Hospital Center, call 703.558.8500. 

Email Chilli your feedback, questions and personal experiences.

“Gift of Health” contract between two women - click here to print out your contract.

• Women pledge to schedule mammograms every year during your birthday month

• Women pledge to schedule annual appointment with physician to include a clinical breast exam

• Women pledge to learn how to do and actually perform a self breast-exam on a monthly basis

• Women pledge to ask questions and discuss family health history related to breast cancer

Digital Mammography

• Immediate results

• Increased accuracy with high quality images

• Less worry and discomfort

To schedule your digital mammogram at Virginia Hospital Center, call 703.558.8500. 

1. Wear separates so you can leave some of your clothes on during the exam.

2. Do not wear deodorant, powder or lotions. Residue from such substances can be mistaken for calcifications on the scan, and can result in unnecessary callbacks.

3. Schedule your mammogram when your breasts are least tender, such as a week or two after your period.

4. Take a friend or family member with you for support if you are nervous.

5. Bring documentation from previous breast screenings, biopsies and other procedures to ensure technicians are fully aware of any past problems.

6. If you have had previous mammograms, bring your films with you so they can be used for comparison studies. 

7. Have your referring physician’s name and contact information with you during your visit so the Women’s Imaging Center will know where to send your mammography report.

"Did you know?"

• A mammogram is a picture of the breast. Invented more than 30 years ago, mammograms can often show a breast lump before it can be felt, and they are still the best tool doctors have to find breast cancer early.

• A breast lump has to be about one inch in diameter, or about the size of a quarter, for a woman to feel it herself. A digital mammogram can reveal an abnormality as small as a pencil eraser.

• 20% to 30% of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease. Source: American Cancer Society

• Therefore, it’s important to note that 70% to 80% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease. Source: American Cancer Society