Ultrasound as effective as mammography
A new study found that an ultrasound (US) is as effective as a mammography in detecting breast cancer. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
To determine the effectiveness of using ultrasound to detect breast cancer, Wendie A. Berg, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Magee-Womens Hospital, and colleagues recruited 2,809 women across 20 different sites in the United States, Canada, and Argentina to the American College of Radiology Imaging Network protocol 6666 breast cancer screening study. Of the participants, 2,662 completed three annual breast screenings by US and film-screen or digital mammography, and then had a biopsy or a 12-month follow-up.
The researchers found that the number of US screens to detect breast cancer was comparable to that of mammography, and found that there was a greater proportion of invasive and node-negative cancers in those who had US; however, there was also a greater number of false-positives among the women screened with US. While the false-positive rate of US exceeds that of mammography, the number of women recalled for extra testing becomes more comparable on incidence screening rounds, the authors write. “Where mammography is available, US should be seen as a supplemental test for women with dense breasts who do not meet high-risk criteria for screening MRI and for high-risk women with dense breasts who are unable to tolerate MRI.”
