Русский 
Mammograph is a type of X-ray equipment (that has a number of modifications for it is designed to conduct mammography screening which has a number of technical features and designed specifically for mammography, the most informative method for diagnosing Mastopathy. The construction of such equipment includes reinforced shielding screens allowing for minimal radiation exposure.
Х-ray for each gland is to be done in direct and oblique projections. The most suitable day for the investigation is day 7-10 of the menstrual cycle.
X-ray mammography provides the following:
- clear differentiation of epithelial and connective tissue structures within the gland,
- detecting signs of focal or diffuse abnormalities.
- determining the Mastopathy type
- determining the spreading degree of indurations,
- determining the calcium deposition foci within the gland tissues.
- detecting the presence of benign tumor in the mammary gland,
- detecting the presence of malignant tumor along with the gland involvement degree (including the cases when cancer node diameter does not exceed 1 cm).
Despite the high informational value of this technique, women aged under 40 are recommended to undergo X-ray mammography only if the presence of malignant node is suspected, for at a younger age (due to the high density of the gland) X-ray mammography is of low information value.
If no necessity of undergoing X-ray mammography occurred before the age of 40, at this age it is recommended to every woman for the following purposes:
- to evaluate the feature of the mammary gland tissues,
- to obtain baseline images for further follow-up and for comparing it with the X-ray images obtained in the future.
The practice of regular undergoing X-ray mammography is accepted in a number of foreign countries, due to which the rates of detecting breast cancer at an early stages significantly increase along with the decrease in the breast-cancer mortality.
Breast cancer detected at early stages is fully curable!
At an age over 40 X-ray mammography investigation is to be conducted on an annual basis!
In cases of Mastopathy such investigations are not just desirable, they provide the following data:
- evaluation of the dynamic changes in the fibrocystic breast disease,
- monitoring the efficiency of conducted treatment of Mastopathy,
- predicting the possible increase or decrease of the breast cancer risk.
If any breast cancer risk factors were detected, its assessment is to be conducted with the use of scanning densitometry of mammograms, which allows for:
- determining the density of the X-ray image (mammogram density decrease as a result of Mastopathy treatment or preventive treatment is the indicator of decreased breast cancer risk),
- objective evaluation and description of the dynamic processes that take place in the pathologic foci and surrounding tissues,
- timely correction of the treatment scheme with regard to the detected changes.
