What Is Breast Ultrasound And When Should One Be Done?

The early diagnosis of breast cancer is key to the success of your treatment. That is why women are recommended to have regular medical examinations starting at age 40 or earlier. However, there are cases in which it is advisable to supplement the reviews with a breast ultrasound (อัลตร้าซาวด์เต้านม, which is the term in Thai). In this article, we tell you what this diagnostic test consists of and in what situations it is recommended.

The goal, in any case, is to detect as soon as possible any tumour in the chest. Recall that breast cancer is the one that causes the most deaths among the female population, even though survival to this type of cancer has increased. 

The growing awareness and periodic reviews have achieved that in more than 30% of cases breast cancer is detected in early stages, which makes the tumour easier to treat and has a greater range of options for eradication.

What Is A Breast Ultrasound?

A breast ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging test that helps differentiate between solid masses or cysts in the chest. This diagnostic test uses sound waves or ultrasound to generate real-time images of the structure and movement of the organs and the blood flow that circulates through the vessels.

Ultrasound allows distinguishing solid nodules from cystic, something that mammography cannot do. In fact, due to its characteristics, breast ultrasound is used as a complementary diagnostic method after mammography.

What Is The Difference Between Breast Ultrasound And Mammography?

Ultrasound and mammograms are imaging tests that allow you to detect a breast tumour and specify the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, they are different tests that obtain the image of the chest by various means.

Mammography, unlike breast ultrasound, obtains images of the chest by X-rays and is considered the most reliable technique for early detection of breast cancer in asymptomatic women.

The advantage of mammograms is that they allow the detection of clustered microcalcifications, which represent the most common form of presentation of breast cancer at its earliest stage.

On the other hand, breast ultrasounds are imaging tests indicated as a complement to mammography, since it shows lesions that are not visible by mammography.