Home Resources Research Dense Breast Tissue Automated Ultrasound Improves Cancer Detection - Doubles the Number of Cancers Detected!

Automated Ultrasound Improves Cancer Detection - Doubles the Number of Cancers Detected!

(March 5, 2010) Findings presented at the European Congress of Radiology demonstrate that automated breast ultrasound (ABS) promises improved cancer detection when combined with standard digital mammography, but training is required for radiologists to realize its full clinical potential. These findings support the importance of women being informed about their breast density to ensure that they have access to the appropriate screening tools to find cancer at its earliest stage when it is most treatable.

Breast cancer detections doubled from 23 to 46 in 6,425 studies using Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBU) with mammography, resulting in an increase in diagnostic yield from 3.6 per 1,000 with mammography alone to 7.2 per 1,000 by adding AWBU (an additional 3.6 per 1,000; 95% CI=2.3–5.4). Sensitivity for mammography alone was 40% (95% CI=27.5–54%; 23 out of 57 cancers), but increased to 81% (95% CI=68–90%; 46 out of 57 cancers) with the addition of AWBU. Sensitivity of AWBU alone was 67% (95% CI=53–79%; 38 out of 57).

These new studies appear to align in their findings that automated breast ultrasound scanning can improve breast cancer detection and diagnosis, whether added to standard digital mammography or as a standalone modality. For more information go to Automated Ultrasound.

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What is Dense Breast Tissue?

How Do I Know if I Have Dense Breast Tissue?

What Do I Do if I Have Dense Breast Tissue?

Are You Dense? Fact #1:
Breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of mammography screening to detect cancer.
Are You Dense? Fact #2:
Two-thirds of pre-menopausal women and 40% of post-menopausal women have dense breast tissue.
Are You Dense? Fact #3:
Adding more sensitive tests to mammography significantly increase detection of invasive cancers that are small and node negative.
Are You Dense? Fact #4:
American College of Radiology describes women with "Dense Breast Tissue" as having a higher than average risk of Breast Cancer.
Are You Dense? Fact #5:
While a mammogram detects 98% of cancers in women with fatty breasts, it finds only 48% in women with dense breasts.
Are You Dense? Fact #6:
A woman at average risk and a woman at high risk have an EQUAL chance of having their cancer masked by mammogram.
Are You Dense? Fact #7:
Women with dense breasts who had breast cancer have a four times higher risk of recurrence than women with less-dense breasts.
Are You Dense? Fact #8:
A substantial proportion of Breast Cancer can be attributed to high breast density alone.
Are You Dense? Fact #9:
Cancer turns up five times more often in women with extremely dense breasts than those with the most fatty tissue.
Are You Dense? Fact #10
There are too many women who are unaware of their breast density, believe their “Happy Gram” when it reports no significant findings and are at risk of receiving a later stage cancer diagnosis.