I'm concerned that radiation during a mammogram may increase my risk of thyroid cancer. Should I request a thyroid guard?

Answer From Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.

Probably not, as there is little chance that the radiation from a breast X-ray (mammogram) will cause thyroid cancer. In addition, a thyroid guard could interfere with the accuracy of your mammogram.

A thyroid guard or thyroid shield is a lead collar that wraps around your neck to block the radiation that's generated in making X-ray images.

During an X-ray, the majority of radiation needed to create the images goes exactly where it's aimed. In the case of a mammogram, most radiation exposure occurs in your breast. But the rest of your body is exposed to small amounts of what's called scatter radiation. Scatter radiation during a mammogram is a fraction of the natural radiation (known as background radiation) you'd receive in one day.

One analysis estimated that during a mammogram, which involves two X-rays per breast, the thyroid is exposed to the equivalent of 30 minutes of natural radiation. Even over many years of annual mammograms, this amount of additional radiation is considered tiny.

Still, don't let a fear of thyroid cancer keep you from having a mammogram. If you choose to use a thyroid guard, many facilities have them available. Call ahead to make sure one is available at your facility.

Discuss the benefits and risks of thyroid guards with your radiologist or breast-imaging specialist. Thyroid guards can sometimes interfere with getting good images of the breast tissue, which could make the mammogram images incomplete. Thyroid guards can also distort the appearance of the mammogram. If this happens, you may be called back to have additional mammogram images.

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Oct. 25, 2024 See more Expert Answers

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  2. Breast cancer
  3. Breast Cancer
  4. Breast cancer chemoprevention
  5. Breast Cancer Education Tool
  6. Common questions about breast cancer treatment
  7. Infographic: Breast Cancer Risk
  8. Breast cancer staging
  9. Breast cancer types
  10. Breast cysts
  11. Breast pain
  12. COVID-19 vaccine: Should I reschedule my mammogram?
  13. Dense breast tissue
  14. Dragon Boats and Breast Cancer
  15. Enlarged breasts in men (gynecomastia)
  16. Fibroadenoma
  17. Fibrocystic breasts
  18. Galactorrhea
  19. Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
  20. Genetic testing for breast cancer: Psychological and social impact
  21. HER2-positive breast cancer: What is it?
  22. Hypercalcemia
  23. Inflammatory breast cancer
  24. Invasive lobular carcinoma
  25. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
  26. Male breast cancer
  27. Mammary duct ectasia
  28. Mammogram
  29. Mammogram guidelines: What are they?
  30. Mastitis
  31. What is breast cancer? An expert explains
  32. Paget's disease of the breast
  33. Paulas story A team approach to battling breast cancer
  34. Pink Sisters
  35. Recurrent breast cancer
  36. The Long Race Beating Cancer
  37. Mammogram for breast cancer — What to expect
  38. Weight Loss After Breast Cancer