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Complete Breast Assessment

Your doctor may select complete breast assessment on Mayfair’s general requisition. This procedure starts with a screening mammography exam – a type of X-ray that provides detailed images (mammograms) of the internal structure of your breast tissue. A mammogram can reveal changes that are too small for you or your doctor to feel.

Once the screening mammography is complete, our Volpara software will determine your breast density score and your technologist will decide if an ultrasound is appropriate.

A diagnostic breast ultrasound or an automated breast ultrasound may be booked as a supplement to a screening mammography for patients with extremely dense breast tissue (Volpara D score) or heterogeneously dense breast tissue (Volpara C) combined with additional risk factors for breast malignancy (e.g., first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer).

Dense breast tissue is a clinical diagnosis that can only be assessed by mammography. Dense breasts have less fat and more glandular and connective tissue, which make a mammogram harder to read so smaller cancers may be hidden. Very dense breast tissue can also increase breast cancer risk. For more information about breast density, read our article What are Dense Breasts?

Please note: When booking your initial appointment, we will check previous reports for your Volpara score. If one is not available, you will be booked for a screening mammography only and it will be determined whether an ultrasound is necessary. We will do our best to schedule this on the same day, but you may have to return another day for an ultrasound.

For more information on how to prepare and what happens during each exam, please click the links above.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

Please bring the following to your appointment: a valid government-issued ID, your provincial health card, and your exam requisition (if you have received one).

FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

Please ensure that you bring your requisition with you to your appointment.

DURATION

15-30 min. (Mammogram)
plus 15 min. (ABUS)
or 45 min. (handheld breast ultrasound)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does an ultrasound replace a mammography exam?
Mammography is the gold standard for breast imaging, Ultrasound is meant to compliment it, not replace it.
How do I determine my breast density?
To determine your breast density, you will need to discuss scheduling a mammogram and a review of the results with your health care provider. Each person who has a mammogram at Mayfair will receive a Volpara score. Volpara is a program that provides a volumetric assessment of breast density and assigns each person a Volpara score – A (almost entirely fatty) to D (almost entirely dense).
What does it mean if I have dense breast tissue?
Both dense tissue and breast cancer appear white on a mammogram. Women with a Volpara D score have very dense breast tissue, which makes it harder to detect suspicious looking areas, as they appear similar to the dense tissue. During a mammogram the technologist uses compression to help spread out dense breast tissue and make any hidden cancer more apparent. If a radiologist looks at the images and reports no new areas of concern, your doctor may request a diagnostic breast ultrasound or automated breast ultrasound to supplement your mammogram (a second look, or second check, of the breasts). Mammography is still the gold standard for breast imaging, but, in cases of very dense breast tissue, a second look may be needed.
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Our Culture

We foster a supportive and collaborative culture designed to encourage positive patient experiences and build strong working relationships across the organization:

  • We recognize each other for our contributions – big and small.
  • We focus on teamwork and personal accountability to achieve our goals.
  • When we commit to deadlines, we complete the work as promised, by when we promised. If we realize we can’t keep our commitments, we collaborate to find new deadlines well in advance of the original ones.
  • We feel safe to speak up responsibly. That means we freely share what’s on our minds in a way that is respectful and supports the success of the organization.
  • We commit to our patients and their needs. We show up each day ready to live our vision, mission, and values.
  • We challenge each other to grow and develop our skills and we support each other to do so.
  • Above all, we go the extra mile to support our patients and colleagues. 

Our Values.

Our core values shape the way we work with patients, partners, and fellow employees. And, more than anything else, they’re what set Mayfair apart. In everything we do, this is what we strive for:

EXCELLENCE

We share a commitment to high quality and excellence in all that we do. This commitment calls on all of us to achieve the very best of our capabilities and exceed our own expectations.

CURIOSITY

We innovate in everything, from services to processes. We believe meaningful change and effective problem solving come only by looking at challenges and opportunities from new angles and by exercising our creativity and curiosity.

PASSION

We show pride, enthusiasm, and dedication in everything that we do. We are committed to producing and delivering high-quality results and services. We are passionate about our industry and about our company, services, partners, and patients.

COLLABORATION

Our team is supportive of each other’s efforts; we are loyal to one another; and we care for one another both personally and professionally. We promote and support a diverse, yet unified, team. We work together to meet our common goals across Mayfair clinics, locations, and geographies. Only through collaboration on ideas, technologies, and talents can we achieve our mission and vision.

SERVICE

We take pride in delivering exceptional service every day. We listen to every request with an open mind, always looking for opportunities to go above and beyond to create memorable, personalized experiences. We take responsibility to answer our referrers’ and patients’ requests and respect their time by always responding with a sense of urgency.

Start with us.

Start a career with Mayfair Diagnostics — one of Western Canada’s leading medical imaging teams.

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, we’ve been helping people f ind clarity for their health for over 100 years. At our clinics in Calgary and area, Regina, and Saskatoon, our team of radiologists, technologists, and support staff work in a truly integrated way to provide exceptional experiences for our patients. Joining our team is more than a job. It’s an investment in your future — a plan for success.

OUR PEOPLE

Our people share our quest to make a difference in our patient’s lives. We’re a team of professionals, disciplined in our skills and compassionate with our patients, providing the care and attention they need. At our core, we are a trusted partner in our patients’ health care journey. Our patients, physicians, and other health care providers rely on us for quality imaging to help manage their patient’s health care decisions with certainty. But our business is about more than just imaging. It’s about building lasting relationships and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we meet.

OUR VISION

A world in which every person has clarity about their health. We push the boundaries of what is possible and embrace change as an opportunity. We strive to be thought leaders and encourage creativity by providing a safe place for calculated risk taking. We learn from our mistakes. We share best practices across our operations and are recognized by our peers for our work. We engage the best to help propel us forward in achieving our goals.