How does ultrasound in screening for and diagnosis of breast cancer compare against x-ray?
EM. The answer is forthcoming. From earlier individual studies that have been published we know that mammography has limitations in detection of masses predominantly in women who have dense fibroglandular breasts. Dense fibroglandular breast tissue translates into whiteness on an x-ray mammogram, and a mass that is a cancer or a cyst would also be white, and there’s no background contrast for a white mass to stand out against. Ultrasound gives you a very small window into tissue. For breast tissue, the ultrasound studies that we do have a thin slice of breast tissue which is about five centimeters square at most. And that area will include all of the tissue at that sight. Ultrasound is an excellent way to characterize something that you may suspect is present on a mammogram or a palpable abnormality that either you yourself feel or your physician has observed when you come for a physical exam. Masses on ultrasound will look dark against the same fibroglandular background which is white
