Mammograms to screen for breast cancer are recommended for women age 40 and older once a year as part of the routine healthcare. However, almost two-thirds of women close the eyes to the use of screening guidelines. Why? Because these exams aren’t covered by insurance and aren’t reasonably priced. This is the reason why some women really don’t afford undergoing the tests. Other explanation would be the discomfort and pain associated with the test or the fact that some women are just afraid of discovering they may have breast cancer.

The authors of a new study found a useful solution to ease the pain a woman suffers during a mammogram, when the breasts are compressed for a few moments between two plates so that the X-rays can pierce dense breasts tissues. The key bears the name “lidocaine gel.”

In the study, researchers tested mixtures of oral acetaminophen, oral ibuprofen, 4% lidocaine gel, blends of gel and oral medications or just nothing. The gel was applied an estimated 35 to 60 minutes before the exam, then removed before the X-rays were taken. The investigators determined that the product drastically diminished the distress, but oral pain relievers didn’t work. Lidocaine gel is already used as a pain reliever in other minor procedures such as IV injections, but has never served as a palliative to women undergoing the screening method to diagnose early breast cancer.

Researchers from St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute in Boise, Idaho, draw attention to the fact that mammograms are likely to hurt more when women expect them to hurt. However, the study also says that in the exam there are other factors which carry some weight too, such as the sensitivity and care of the technician who performs the mammography.