MODEL RELEASED. Radiographer talking to patient prior to a mammography examination, an X-ray technique which reveals fine details of internal breast tissues. Its major use is in detecting breast cancer, as the appearance of cancers on a mammogram differs from that of benign conditions such as cysts. To obtain an image, the breast is compressed into a relatively flat plane between two plastic sheets before exposing the tissues to X-rays. Small tumours detected at an early stage may sometimes be treated in a conservative manner without resort to a mastectomy, the surgical removal of the whole breast. Photographed at King's College Hospital, London.