Medical Oncologist
Scans explained
Breast imaging with implants
Having implants does not stop you being screened and does not stop breast cancer being found. What changes is the technique: extra views are taken with the implant pushed back and your own tissue drawn forward. This page explains what the appointment involves, which scan answers which question, and what a mammogram still cannot see.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
Can you have a mammogram with implants?
Yes. Having implants does not stop you being screened, and it does not stop breast cancer being found. What changes is the technique: extra views are taken, and the radiographer needs to know about the implants before you go in.
Why the technique has to change
An implant is solid white on a mammogram and X-rays cannot see through it. Breast tissue sitting behind it is hidden. To get around this, the radiographer takes additional views in which the implant is pushed back towards the chest wall and the breast tissue is drawn forward in front of it.
What that means in the room
The appointment takes longer, because roughly twice as many pictures are taken. The extra views need a firm hold to slide the tissue forward, which some women find more uncomfortable than a standard mammogram. Say so if it hurts, because the grip can be adjusted.
Tell the booking desk you have implants when you make the appointment, not when you arrive. It changes how long they book.Words you will hear
The vocabulary, in plain language
- Implant displacement views
- The extra pictures where the implant is pushed back and the breast tissue pulled forward. Sometimes named after the radiographers who described the technique.
- Subglandular
- An implant sitting in front of the chest muscle, directly under the breast tissue. These hide slightly more tissue on a mammogram.
- Submuscular
- An implant sitting behind the chest muscle. Generally easier to work around when taking pictures.
- Capsule
- The layer of scar tissue your body forms around any implant. It is normal and expected rather than a complication in itself.
- Capsular contracture
- That scar layer tightening and squeezing the implant, making the breast feel firm. It can make the extra views harder to take.
- Rupture
- A split in the implant shell. Sometimes seen on imaging arranged for another reason, and assessed separately.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhich test, and when
What each scan is used for when you have implants
No single test does everything. Which one you are offered depends on the question being asked.
Mammogram with extra views
Still the main screening test. With the displacement views added, a good share of the breast tissue can be seen, though not all of it.
Ultrasound
Very useful for a lump you can feel, and for looking at tissue close to the implant. It is quick, painless and does not involve X-rays.
Usually chosen for
- A new lump you have noticed
- Tissue right beside the implant
- A focused question in one spot
MRI
The most reliable way to see both the breast tissue and the implant itself. It is used where the question cannot be settled otherwise, and where a rupture is suspected.
Ask which question the MRI is meant to answer.Your own awareness
Because imaging is imperfect here, noticing a change yourself matters more than it does for other women. A new lump, a change in shape or a dimple is worth a same-week appointment.
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An important distinction
Cosmetic implants and reconstruction after cancer
Implants for appearance
Implant reconstruction after breast cancer
Your own breast tissue is still present
Most breast tissue has been removed
You continue with routine screening mammograms
Routine mammograms of that side are usually not done
Extra displacement views are added
Follow-up is mainly by examination, with scans as needed
The other breast is imaged in the usual way
The other breast is still screened normally
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Being straight with you
What we cannot promise you
Even with the extra views, a mammogram sees less of the breast when an implant is present than when it is not. That is a limitation of physics, not of the radiographer, and no technique removes it completely.
What follows from that
A normal mammogram is slightly less reassuring than it would be without implants. It does not mean screening is pointless, because a great deal of tissue is still seen and cancers are still found. It does mean a lump you can feel should never be dismissed on the strength of a clear mammogram.
Will the mammogram damage the implant
Rupture during a mammogram is very uncommon. Older implants and ones already affected by tightened scar tissue carry a slightly higher risk, which is one reason the radiographer asks how old the implants are. Tell them if you have had problems with them.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how much of your own breast tissue is visible, because that depends on where your implants sit, how large they are and how much of your own tissue remains. Ask the radiologist that question directly, and ask whether an ultrasound should be added routinely for you.
Commonly believed
What women with implants are often told
You cannot have a mammogram once you have implants.
You can, and you should. The technique changes rather than the eligibility. Women are sometimes told this by people who mean well, skip screening for years on the strength of it, and lose the thing that finds cancers early.
Implants cause breast cancer.
They are not considered a cause of ordinary breast cancer. A rare cancer of the immune system has been linked to certain textured implants, which is a separate condition with different symptoms. If yours are textured, ask your surgeon what follow-up they advise.
The implant will hide a cancer completely.
It hides some tissue, which is why the extra views exist and why ultrasound is added when there is something to check. A great deal of the breast is still seen, and cancers are found on mammograms in women with implants every week.
A clear mammogram means the lump I can feel is nothing.
This is the belief that does the most harm here. A lump you can feel is investigated on its own merits, whatever the pictures show. Ask for an ultrasound of that exact spot rather than accepting a normal mammogram as the end of it.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about imaging with implants
Will the mammogram burst my implant?
It is very uncommon. The pressure used is controlled and the extra views are designed to move the implant out of the way rather than squeeze it. Tell the radiographer how old your implants are and whether you have had any problems, as that changes how carefully they work.
Should I have an MRI instead of a mammogram?
Not as a routine substitute. MRI is used to answer a specific question, such as a suspected rupture or an unclear finding. For routine screening the mammogram with extra views remains the standard, with ultrasound added when there is something to check.
Do I need to tell them, or will they see it?
Tell them when you book, not when you arrive. The appointment needs a longer slot for the extra views, and the radiographer wants to know where the implants sit before starting. It is not a detail to leave for them to discover.
Is it more painful with implants?
Many women find the displacement views more uncomfortable, because a firm hold is needed to slide the tissue forward. It lasts only seconds per picture. Say if it is genuinely painful rather than uncomfortable, because the technique can be adjusted.
I had reconstruction after cancer. Do I still need mammograms?
Usually not on the reconstructed side, because most breast tissue was removed and there is little left to image. Follow-up there is mainly by examination. Your other breast is still screened in the usual way, and that part matters.
Are implants linked to breast cancer?
They are not considered a cause of ordinary breast cancer. A rare cancer of the immune system has been linked to certain textured implants, which is a separate condition with different symptoms. If you have textured implants, ask your surgeon what follow-up they advise.
What if I find a lump?
Get it looked at within the week, and do not accept a clear mammogram as the whole answer. Ask specifically for an ultrasound of the area. A lump you can feel is investigated on its own merits, whatever the pictures show.
Can I still be screened if my implants are very firm?
Yes, though tightened scar tissue makes the extra views harder and sometimes less useful. Tell the team, because they may add an ultrasound routinely for you rather than relying on the mammogram alone.
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Speak to a breast cancer specialist
Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Breast screening and breast implants
- National Cancer Institute — Breast implants and cancer risk
- Breast Cancer Now — Breast screening if you have implants
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.