New Ultrasound Test for Breast Cancer
Reported October 21, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Doctors may have a new test to offer women to help determine if a mass in the breast is malignant or benign. A new study finds three-dimensional (3-D) power Doppler ultrasound helps radiologists determine if a mass is cancerous.
Using 3-D scans promises greater accuracy due to more consistent sampling over the entire tumor, lead author, Gerald L. LeCarpentier, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, was quoted as saying. Our study shows that 3-D power Doppler ultrasound may be useful in the evaluation of some breast masses.
For the study, researchers recruited 78 women between the ages of 26 and 70 who were scheduled for biopsy for a suspicious mass in their breast. Each woman underwent a 3-D Doppler ultrasound exam before the biopsy. Radiologists then compared their results from the ultrasound to the biopsy results.
Researchers found the test was highly accurate. Cancerous tumors were identified 100 percent of the time and benign tumors were specified 86 percent of the time. Study authors explain that malignant breast masses often have increased blood flow. They say this technology allows radiologists to better detect vessels with higher flow speeds, which indicates the tumor could be cancerous.
SOURCE: Radiology, 2008