The experience of screening mammography.

Nearly 1000 women who had just undergone screening mammography responded to a survey regarding demographics, the circumstances of the mammographic examination, and their responses to it. Several findings of interest to the family physician include the following: (1) The majority of respondents obtained the examination as a result of their physician's referral rather than on their own. (2) Most respondents experienced less pain during the procedure than they had anticipated. (3) The major expressed motivation for obtaining the examination was to seek reassurance that nothing was wrong. Family physicians need to know that screening mammography patients accept the procedure, and should incorporate awareness of the above findings into their routine practice.