Lidocaine Gel Could Make Mammograms More Comfortable

Mammograms are not one of the Top 10 things women look forward to each year. In fact, they may be in the Bottom 10, or even the Bottom 3. While they don't compare to the pain of surgery or childbirth, mammograms are an uncomfortable procedure for most women, but one that is considered a necessary evil. It is easy for many women to wince at the first thought of getting their screening for breast cancer. But help may be a smear away.

A new study conducted shows that a numbing gel could ease the pain associated with getting a mammogram and may make women more likely to come back for subsequent screenings. The lead author of the study said that the gel might act as a simple secret weapon: "We now have something that we know reduces discomfort with screening mammography in women who expect higher discomfort—lidocaine gel."

Colleen Lamberts, a nurse practitioner with the St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute, said that reducing the pain could mean more mammograms for women. If they have a more positive experience, the hope is that more women would undergo regular mammography screenings.

For this study, the researchers gathered 418 women between the ages of 32 and 89. The participants in the study had been expected to experience discomfort during a mammogram. They were surveyed before and after their screening. Approximately 54 of the participants said they had "probably or definitely" delayed getting a mammogram because of the discomfort that was perceived to be associated with it.

The women were divided into three groups and were given ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and/or lidocaine gel before their mammogram. The medications were chosen because they are easily accessible, over the counter, and have very few side effects.

After their exams, the researchers found that the women who received the numbing gel had significantly less discomfort. The women who took the oral medications did not report any significant easing of the discomfort.

During a mammogram screening, the breasts are pressed and squeezed with a paddle so that the X-ray can zone in on dense tissue. The women who had already expected to have a lot of discomfort during the screening did, as well as the women who had tender breasts. Approximately eighty-eight percent of the participants said they would definitely go back for a screening within the next year. Ten of the women said that they would probably go for their annual mammograms now.

The study's co-author, James R. Maxwell, MD, of St. Luke's Breast Care Services, said, "Mammography is the only screening tool to reduce mortality from breast cancer in women over 40." "Annual screening is the most important option available to a woman to best ensure early detection and decrease the chance of being diagnosed with an advanced stage breast cancer."

In the background information that was published with the findings, the study authors write that breast cancer account for approximately one fifth of all the deaths in women ages 40 to 50. The recent decrease in the death rates from breast cancer is almost directly linked to better and increased screenings through the mammograms.

The research authors write, "Still, recent reports suggests that approximately one-half to two-thirds of women do now follow established guidelines for mammography."

As for the guidelines from the National Cancer Institute, they recommend that women should get their first mammogram beginning at the age of 40 and every one to two years after then. You should check with your physician, because sometimes a mammogram screening is recommended before the age of 40 in women that are at a higher than average risk.

You can find the findings of this study in the online edition of Radiology.