There are two main types of mammography: film-screen mammography and digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography or FFDM. The technique for performing them is the same. What differs is whether the images take the form of photographic films or of digital files recorded directly onto a computer.

Mammography technique

When you have a mammogram, a skilled technologist positions and compresses your breast between two clear plates. The plates are attached to a highly specialized...