What is the Role of Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is another important tool that can be used in the detection of breast cancer.

However, ultrasound cannot substitute for mammography as a screening test since it does not detect all calcifications. Certain types of calcifications detected by mammography can be a sign of ductal carcinoma in situ, the earliest, most highly treatable and curable stage of breast cancer. Therefore, ultrasound is used in conjunction with mammography.

Screening ultrasound has shown to be effective, however, in detecting breast cancer and other abnormalities in women who have dense breasts. The density of the breast limits the sensitivity of mammography. In the setting of dense breasts and high cancer risk, such as a patient with a mother or sister with breast cancer, ultrasound may be added as an additional screening tool.