![]() ![]() This can be particularly helpful in younger women, when the lump is likely to be something other than breast cancer. So if there’s any question after a mammogram that a cancer could be hiding in dense breast tissue, ultrasounds are often the next step.Įvaluation of a breast lump: Not all breast lumps are cancerous, and ultrasounds can help figure out exactly what kind of lump it is. A mammogram’s X-rays can sometimes have a hard time getting through dense tissue. This is particularly true if someone has dense breasts. Ultrasounds can help with diagnosis in many situations, including:Ībnormal breast mammogram: An ultrasound can help when a mammogram shows an abnormal area in the breast, but it’s not clear if it’s cancer. This means they’re a good test to gather more information if there’s reason to believe someone might have cancer. View more medications When are ultrasounds useful for breast cancer?Īn ultrasound is actually a little bit better than a mammogram at detecting early breast cancer cases. They’re useful when someone feels an abnormal lump in their breast or a mammogram shows an area that could be breast cancer. This is where ultrasounds come in - they’re more helpful for diagnosis rather than screening. In other words, it helps when there are signs and symptoms of a condition or after a screening test finds something. Diagnostic testingĭiagnostic testing is useful when more information is needed to confirm a suspected diagnosis. This would lead to unnecessary worry and extra testing - like breast biopsies - only to find out nothing was really wrong. Here’s why: If ultrasounds were used for routine screening, they would lead to a lot of “false positives.” These are cases where the ultrasound results suggest there could be a tumor when there isn’t one there. Mammograms are better than ultrasounds to screen for breast cancer. ![]() A good screening test picks up on abnormalities you want to know about - like developing breast cancer - but not the ones that don’t matter - like a normal cyst. Screening looks for any health condition before there are signs or symptoms. Some tests are better for screening, and other tests are better for diagnosis. To answer this question, it helps to understand what it means to “test” for breast cancer. mammograms: What is the best way to test for breast cancer? We’ll explain the difference between mammograms and breast ultrasounds and which one is best to detect breast cancer in your particular situation. When it comes to possible breast cancer, it can be confusing to understand the different testing options and know which one is best for you. But what if that mammogram shows something abnormal? Or what if you feel a new lump? If you are in this situation, your provider may recommend an ultrasound to take a closer look. Many women are familiar with mammograms as the go-to test to screen for breast cancer. ![]()
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