Articles · October 2, 2026 · 4 min read

Breast Cancer Awareness Month in El Paso: booking your 3D mammogram at Desert Imaging

Four El Paso centers, evenings and Saturdays, about 10 minutes. How to request a screening mammogram this October, what to bring, and what happens after.

Every October the pink ribbons come out, and every October a lot of women in El Paso remember that they have been meaning to schedule a mammogram. If that is you, this post is the practical part: where to go, how to book, what to bring, and what happens after. The exam takes about 10 minutes, and we are open late and on Saturdays.

Every mammogram we do is 3D

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. A 3D mammogram, also called breast tomosynthesis, takes a series of low-dose pictures in a light arc over the breast and stacks them into thin layers, so the radiologist reads the breast one layer at a time instead of one flat picture. Compression is still part of the exam. It holds the breast still and spreads the tissue so the pictures are clear. The 3D exam adds no extra compression and takes about the same time as a 2D mammogram.

There are two kinds. A screening mammogram is for women with no symptoms: four pictures, two of each breast. A diagnostic mammogram adds views when the radiologist needs a closer look, or when you have a lump, pain or discharge. This post is about screening. If you have symptoms, your doctor will order a diagnostic mammogram instead, and it may include an ultrasound the same day.

Where to go

Mammography is at four of our five centers, and all four are open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

West. 122 W. Castellano Dr., El Paso, TX 79912
East. 1727 Lee Trevino Dr., El Paso, TX 79935
Joe Battle. 3080 Joe Battle Blvd., Suite B, El Paso, TX 79938
Horizon City. 13650 Eastlake Blvd., Suite A-102, Horizon City, TX 79928

Pick whichever is closest to home or work. A screening mammogram fits before work, on a lunch break, or on a Saturday morning.

How to book

For a screening mammogram you do not need a doctor's order. You can request it yourself. We do need the name of a provider to send your report to, which can be your primary care doctor or your gynecologist.

The quickest way this October is the request form on our Breast Cancer Awareness Month page. Fill it in, and we call you back to set the day and the center. If you prefer paper, the mammography self-request form on that page can be printed and brought with you.

If your doctor has already given you an order, that works too. Bring it, or have the office send it, and we schedule from there.

The day of your exam

Wear a two-piece outfit, so only the top comes off. Skip deodorant, powder, lotion and perfume on your breasts and underarms that day. They can show up as spots on the pictures and lead to a repeat.

Bring your insurance card and a photo ID. If your last mammogram was done somewhere else, bring it or tell us where it was done, so the radiologist can compare this year with last year. Comparing is one of the most useful things a radiologist can do with a mammogram.

A mammography technologist positions each breast on the platform and lowers the paddle. The pressure lasts a few seconds per picture and releases as soon as the image is taken. The whole exam takes about 10 minutes.

What it costs

Most insurance plans cover a screening mammogram at 100 percent, with no cost to you. A diagnostic mammogram is billed like other exams, so a copay or deductible may apply. If you are not sure which yours is, ask when you book.

What happens after

One of our board-certified radiologists here in El Paso reads your exam. The report goes to your doctor, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and appears in your patient portal.

The radiologist reports the result on a standard scale called BI-RADS. A 1 or 2 is normal or benign. A 0 means more pictures or a comparison with older mammograms are needed, which is common and is not a diagnosis. Texas law also requires us to tell you if you have dense breast tissue, because density can make a mammogram harder to read. Your doctor goes over the result with you and decides whether anything else is needed.

When to start and how often

That is your doctor's decision, based on your age, your family history and your breast density. What we can do is make the exam itself easy to fit in. If you have been putting it off, October is as good a month as any, and we have evening and Saturday appointments at four centers.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow the instructions your doctor and our staff give you for your exam.

Ready to book your 3D mammography?

Request an appointment online or call (915) 577-0100. Bring your doctor's order and we take it from there.

Request an appointment Call (915) 577-0100

# Breast Cancer Awareness Month in El Paso: booking your 3D mammogram at Desert Imaging *Four El Paso centers, evenings and Saturdays, about 10 minutes. How to request a screening mammogram this October, what to bring, and what happens after.* October 2, 2026 · Desert Imaging Every October the pink ribbons come out, and every October a lot of women in El Paso remember that they have been meaning to schedule a mammogram. If that is you, this post is the practical part: where to go, how to book, what to bring, and what happens after. The exam takes about 10 minutes, and we are open late and on Saturdays. ## Every mammogram we do is 3D A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. A 3D mammogram, also called breast tomosynthesis, takes a series of low-dose pictures in a light arc over the breast and stacks them into thin layers, so the radiologist reads the breast one layer at a time instead of one flat picture. Compression is still part of the exam. It holds the breast still and spreads the tissue so the pictures are clear. The 3D exam adds no extra compression and takes about the same time as a 2D mammogram. There are two kinds. A screening mammogram is for women with no symptoms: four pictures, two of each breast. A diagnostic mammogram adds views when the radiologist needs a closer look, or when you have a lump, pain or discharge. This post is about screening. If you have symptoms, your doctor will order a diagnostic mammogram instead, and it may include an ultrasound the same day. ## Where to go Mammography is at four of our five centers, and all four are open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. - **West.** 122 W. Castellano Dr., El Paso, TX 79912 - **East.** 1727 Lee Trevino Dr., El Paso, TX 79935 - **Joe Battle.** 3080 Joe Battle Blvd., Suite B, El Paso, TX 79938 - **Horizon City.** 13650 Eastlake Blvd., Suite A-102, Horizon City, TX 79928 Pick whichever is closest to home or work. A screening mammogram fits before work, on a lunch break, or on a Saturday morning. ## How to book For a screening mammogram you do not need a doctor's order. You can request it yourself. We do need the name of a provider to send your report to, which can be your primary care doctor or your gynecologist. The quickest way this October is the request form on our [Breast Cancer Awareness Month page](/breast-cancer-awareness). Fill it in, and we call you back to set the day and the center. If you prefer paper, the mammography self-request form on that page can be printed and brought with you. If your doctor has already given you an order, that works too. Bring it, or have the office send it, and we schedule from there. ## The day of your exam Wear a two-piece outfit, so only the top comes off. Skip deodorant, powder, lotion and perfume on your breasts and underarms that day. They can show up as spots on the pictures and lead to a repeat. Bring your insurance card and a photo ID. If your last mammogram was done somewhere else, bring it or tell us where it was done, so the radiologist can compare this year with last year. Comparing is one of the most useful things a radiologist can do with a mammogram. A mammography technologist positions each breast on the platform and lowers the paddle. The pressure lasts a few seconds per picture and releases as soon as the image is taken. The whole exam takes about 10 minutes. ## What it costs Most insurance plans cover a screening mammogram at 100 percent, with no cost to you. A diagnostic mammogram is billed like other exams, so a copay or deductible may apply. If you are not sure which yours is, ask when you book. ## What happens after One of our board-certified radiologists here in El Paso reads your exam. The report goes to your doctor, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and appears in your patient portal. The radiologist reports the result on a standard scale called BI-RADS. A 1 or 2 is normal or benign. A 0 means more pictures or a comparison with older mammograms are needed, which is common and is not a diagnosis. Texas law also requires us to tell you if you have dense breast tissue, because density can make a mammogram harder to read. Your doctor goes over the result with you and decides whether anything else is needed. ## When to start and how often That is your doctor's decision, based on your age, your family history and your breast density. What we can do is make the exam itself easy to fit in. If you have been putting it off, October is as good a month as any, and we have evening and Saturday appointments at four centers.