mammography

American  

[ma-mog-ruh-fee] / mæˈmɒg rə fi /

noun

1. x-ray photography of a breast, especially for detection of tumors.

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mammography British  

/ mæˈmɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the technique of using X-rays to examine the breast in the early detection of cancer

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mammography Cultural  

1. Examination of the breasts using x-rays. Mammography is useful in locating tumors of the breast that are too small to be detected by other means.

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Other Word Forms

• mammograph
  noun
• mammographic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mammography

First recorded in 1935–40; mamm(a) ² + -o- + -graphy

Example Sentences

Badal is “excited” about AI mammography models, and she’s studying risk-based screening through her own work.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

"I saw the doctor on Monday – on the following Thursday I had mammography and a biopsy and from then on it went so quickly my head was spinning, almost."

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

Preventive Services Task Force cited recently for lowering the age for starting mammography screening to 40 again from 50.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

The mammography recommendation has a “B” grade, meaning it has moderate net benefit.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

"To balance the harms and benefits of screening mammography, they're willing to give up some mortality benefit to avoid women being recalled for additional imaging and benign biopsies," she said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2024