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Numbing gel seems to ease mammography pain.
THE QUESTION Might applying a topical analgesic help reduce the discomfort that many women experience during a mammogram?
THIS STUDY involved 418 women scheduled for a screening mammogram. They were randomly assigned to have lidocaine gel (Topicaine) or a placebo gel applied to their chest, to take acetaminophen, ibuprofen or a placebo tablet, or to use a combination of gels and tablets. Gels were left on an average of 48 minutes and wiped off before the mammogram; tablets were taken about 80 minutes before the procedure. Women who used lidocaine gel reported the least amount of pain during their mammogram (averaging about 33 on a zero-to-100 standardized scale, with 100 representing the worst pain imaginable); by comparison, participants' ratings of pain from previous mammograms averaged 64 points.
WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Women, who are urged to have a mammogram every year or two starting at age 40. Mammograms can detect breast cancer early, when it's easier to treat. However, studies have found that more than half of all women don't have a mammogram as frequently as recommended, often because of anticipated pain.
CAVEATS Women who did not anticipate pain during a mammogram were excluded from the study. Gel was removed 30 to 60 minutes before the procedure; the authors suggested that pain relief might be greater if mammography were done right after the gel was removed. Topicaine was provided by its maker, ESBA Laboratories.
FIND THIS STUDY July 22 online issue of Radiology.
LEARN MORE ABOUT mammography at http:/
