| Beast ultrasounds and mammography tests alone | | | | dissociate atoms or molecules that can pose |
| are good techniques for detecting breast cancer. | | | | some health risks to the patient and can cause |
| However, recent studies have showed that these | | | | sterility. |
| two tests, performed together, can show small, | | | | Both breast ultrasound and mammography tests |
| node-negative breast cancers not seen on | | | | can show images of cysts, benign lesions and |
| mammography alone. | | | | malignant lesions in the results. |
| Breast ultrasound is a non-invasive test | | | | In the study done by Wendie A. Berg, Ph.D., of |
| performed on women suspected to have breast | | | | the American Radiology Services of Johns Hopkins |
| cancer. It makes use of a transducer similar to | | | | Green Spring, Lutherville on 2,637 women, 20 |
| that used for prenatal ultrasounds. Images are | | | | cancers were detected through mammography |
| produced by the transducer emitting sound | | | | alone, while 31 cancers were detected with the |
| waves that bounce off layers of mass in the | | | | combination of mammography and breast |
| breast and is transformed into an image seen on | | | | ultrasound or sonography. The diagnostic |
| the screen. This is a quick process that requires | | | | accuracies for mammography, breast ultrasound |
| only around 3o minutes of your time and is safe | | | | and combination of both are 0.78, 0.80 and 0.91 |
| to undergo as often as necessary. Breast | | | | respectively, showing that the combination of |
| ultrasound poses no risks to the patient and can | | | | both tests show more accurate and efficient |
| detect and classify lesions and breast mass in | | | | results and diagnoses. |
| women with dense breasts, women with | | | | One downside of the combination of the two |
| fibrocystic breast disease - or changes in breast | | | | exams though, is that is can bring about an |
| mass that are non-cancerous, women that have | | | | increase in false-positive results which may lead to |
| lesions that cannot be classified by mammography | | | | unnecessary biopsies. In LA, California, the addition |
| alone, young and pregnant women with silicone | | | | of a breast ultrasound test to mammography |
| implants, young and pregnant women and those | | | | revealed 28 percent more cancers than |
| who do not want to be exposed to x-rays. | | | | mammography alone. One out of forty women in |
| On the other hand, another test for detecting | | | | a study has undergone an unnecessary biopsy |
| cancer is through the use of a mammography. | | | | through mammography alone, and one out of ten |
| Digital mammography - also called full-field digital | | | | women was prompted to undergo an |
| mammography (FFDM) and computer-aided | | | | unnecessary biopsy. This shows that the |
| detection (CAD) are the two recent advances in | | | | combined tests increased unnecessary biopsies in |
| this type of test. Mammography is a precise type | | | | women by four times. But then, it would give |
| of imaging that makes use of x-rays of low | | | | women the peace of mind that although the risk |
| doses. This test is non-invasive but patient will be | | | | of false-positive results is higher for the combined |
| exposed to x-rays, the oldest used form of | | | | test, it is more accurate and can detect more |
| medical imaging. However, these release ionizing | | | | cancers than each of these alone. |
| radiation, which gives off sufficient energy to | | | | |