Prepare for the ARRT Mammography certification exam with these practice questions and answers. This guide covers breast anatomy, positioning techniques, image evaluation, quality control, and patient care.
Q: ___ usually presents itself as a small group of malignant microcals on the screening mammo.
Answer: (DCIS) ductal carcinoma insitu[first sign of breast cancer only visible on mammo]]
Q: ___ is the gold standard for the detection of early, nonpalpable breast cancer.
Answer: digital mammo
Q: what types of nipple discharge are suspicious for malignancy?
Answer: spontaneous, unilateral, sticky.-clear-bloody-serous(combo of 2)*80-90% of discharge caused by benign conditions
Q: Benign nipple discharges
Answer: -green, white, milky, cheesey from one or more ducts
Q: the first selective population study to demonstrate a reduction in breast cancer mortality as a result of screening mammo was the ___.
Answer: HIP (health insurance plan) study for new york
Q: ___ are the smallest structures visible on a mammogram.
Answer: microcalcifications (they always represent a past or current tissue process, they can be found in as many as 86% of mammos and are usually benign in nature. occurrence increases with age.)
Q: the average doubling time for a breast cancer cell is ___.
Answer: 90-100 days
Q: a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis indicates that the cancerous tumor is ___.
Answer: 1.estrogen receptor negative2.progesterone receptor negative3. HER2 receptor negative*this type of cancer will respond to chemo but not hormonal therapy*comprises 15%of all breast cancers
Q: a final assessment category is assigned by the radiologist following interpretation of the mammo images. when the radiologist assigns a category 4 to a patient’s study, it is understood that the mammo ___.
Answer: demonstrates a suspicions abnormality and a biopsy should be considered.
Q: younger women tend to have a predominance of ___ and ___ breast tissue making the detection of early breast cancer in these women more difficult.
Answer: heterogeneously dense and/or extremely dense glandular
Q: the majority of breast cancers (50%) are found in the dense, glandular tissue of the ___.
Answer: UOQ
Q: breast tissue extends superiority to the level of the ___ .
Answer: clavicle
Q: an early embrionic breast formation known as the ___ extends from the armpit to the groin.
Answer: mammary line/ milk ridge
Q: the ___ , composed of layers of adipose and connective tissues, separates the breast tissue from the pectoralis major muscle.
Answer: retromammary fat space.
Q: the skin of the breast is thickest as the___ .
Answer: base
Q: the ___ begins at the extralobular terminal duct and extends to the terminal ductules.
Answer: TDLU (terminal duct lobular unit)
Q: ___ is a condition in which a breast has more than one nipple.
Answer: polythelia
Q: ___ is the term used to describe a steady decrease (involution) in the amount of glandulsr tissue.
Answer: atrophy
Q: on the mammogram, fibro-glandular tissue produces lower optical density and appears ___ .
Answer: radiopaque, lighter or white
Q: a halo sign is typically present with a benign circumscribed tumor. a halo sign is a ___ .
Answer: narrow radiolucent ring around the periphery of a lesion.
Q: a mass is a 3-dimensional and occupies space. it is seen ___ .
Answer: on two different mammo projections
Q: if a potential mass is seen only on a single projection, it should be called a/an ___ until its a 3-dimensionality is confirmed.
Answer: asymmetry
Q: a stellate lesion is characterized by ___ .
Answer: a radiating structure with ill-defined borders consisting of spicules
Q: the montgomery glands are large sebaceous glands within the nipple areola complex that open to the skin surface via protrusions on the skin known as ___ .
Answer: morgagni tuberacles
Q: ___ act as suspensory ligaments of the breast.
Answer: coopers ligaments(thin fibrous septa that are irregular and poorly defined, that separates the lobules of the breast. bands of fibrous connective tissue that attach the breast to the skin.
Q: most breast cancers are identified as ___ .
Answer: adenocarcinoma:cancers that originate in glandular tissue of the breast (lobes and ducts)
Q: the ___ , small glandular sacs at the terminal ducts, are the milk-producing units of the breast.
Answer: acini-the ducts end in terminal ducts or ductules, each terminal duct gives rise to a small glandular sac or acini that is the milk producing unit of the breast, the basic structural unit of the breast.
Q: the breast extends from the ___ rib to approximately the ___ rib in the mid-clavicular line.
Answer: 2nd/6th
Q: approximately 2/3 of the upper breast overlies the ___ muscle.
Answer: pectoralis major
Q: each breast has a total of between ___ lobes of glandular tissue
Answer: 15-20
Q: the ___ transport milk from the TDLU to the nipple.
Answer: ducts
Q: approximately ___ openings are found on the surface of the nipple.
Answer: 15-20
Q: the chief arterial blood supply to the breast is from the perforating branches of the___ .
Answer: internal mammary artery
Q: define adenopathy
Answer: enlarged lymphnodes
Q: what are the common site of metastatic breast cancer?
Answer: axillay, supraclavicular and internal mammary lymph nodes
Q: the most important factors involved in analyzing microcalcs are form, size and density (morphology) of the individual particles, as well as the number and ___ of the particles.
Answer: distribution
Q: a/an ___ is a cystic enlargement within the breast that contains milk and usually occurs during lactation.
Answer: galactocele
Q: ___ is defined as cancer cells confined to the duct and their site of origin.
Answer: DCIS-ductal carcinoma insitu
Q: male breast cancer is primarily ___.
Answer: invasive ductal carcinoma
Q: the most common characteristic symptoms of a male breast cancer is ___ .
Answer: a painless subareolar lump
Q: segmental fine linear microcalcs could represent what?
Answer: suspicious morphology. DCIS
Q: BI-RADS assessment ratings
Answer: 0-need addit imaging or priors1-negative(nothing to comment on)2-benign finding3-prob benign (<2%malignat)short interval f/u suggested4-suspicious abnormality (2-95% malignant) consider bx5-highly suggestive of malignancy (>95% malignant) take approp action6-known bx-proven malignant
Q: the patient presents with pain and erythema of the right breast. the mammo tech makes note on the patients clinical info sheet: pronounced skin thickening and edema. the RMLO may demonstrate ___ .
Answer: -mastitis/cellulitis/abcess-inflammatory breast cancer-radiation dermatitis/cellulitis
Q: a 30 y.o. pt presents w a painless, round, mobile lump w smooth margins. because of her age and the physical description of the lump, the finding may likely be due to a ___ . however, only a pathology can prove this.
Answer: benign fibroadenoma-most common breast lump in young women-when calcified they present as “popcorn like calcs” in elderly women
Q: the opening in the duct, which transports milk to the nipple is referred to as the ___ of the ducts.
Answer: lumen
Q: on a cc view there are calcified round smudgy deposits. however, on the 90 degree lateral view (ML), they are more clearly defined and appear linear and crescent shape. the visible change in the shape of these calcifications on the cc versus the ML reassures the radiologist that these represent ___.
Answer: benign milk cyst