Breast ultrasound – indications and the course of the examination. How is breast ultrasound different from mammography and biopsy?

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Poland is one of the few countries where the mortality from breast cancer is not decreasing, but is constantly growing. It is estimated that even 18-20 thousand people learn about breast cancer in our country. women. Unfortunately, many of them still come to the doctor too late to be able to count on a complete recovery. The quickest way to get a quick diagnosis is to do home self-examination and regular breast ultrasound. What does the study look like?

What is breast ultrasound?

Ultrasound is an examination in which, thanks to the use of ultrasound waves, the tissues that make up the breast are visualized. This is because the head used to perform the ultrasound starts to emit ultrasonic waves inaudible to the human ear when it comes into contact with the human skin tissue. These penetrate the skin and begin to bounce off other tissues. Depending on their structure, images of different darkness appear on the screen of the ultrasound monitor.

Breast ultrasound is a quick, non-invasive and painless examination, and the initial result can be obtained during its performance. The examination is usually preceded by a medical interview with the patient and an analysis of previous results ultrasound and mammography – if such were previously performed.

While moving the ultrasound head over the breast, the doctor sees its structure, assesses its condition and possible changes. There is an additional examination performed during the ultrasound examination Doppler examination. Thanks to it, it is possible to assess the blood flow, its direction and speed in the vessels of the breast. When should a breast ultrasound be performed?

Indications for breast ultrasound

Women usually choose to undergo a breast ultrasound while in the process breast self-examination or breast examination by a gynecologist finds an unidentified nodular lesion. The test is also needed when blood or other discharge starts to come out of the nipple.

Ultrasound is also often used as a complementary test when it is impossible to accurately determine the nature when performing other tests changes in the breast. Ultrasound determines whether the detected lesion is hard, which may indicate calcification, fibrosis, or a cancerous tumor, or is filled with fluid, as in a cyst.

1. Check it out: Mild breast diseases

Breast ultrasound is also performed as an additional screening test. Mammography (MRTG) is the only test whose performance has been proven to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer. However, MRTG cannot detect every neoplastic lesion. Therefore, especially women under 35 years of age, it is recommended to perform an ultrasound of the breasts.

Currently, breast ultrasound is used as a screening test for women:

1. at high risk of developing breast cancer;
2. having small breasts;
3. are at a moderate risk of developing breast cancer;
4. with glandular breasts (i.e. in women up to 35 years of age);
5. with silicone implants that prevent the visualization of breast tissue in MRTG;
6. who are pregnant;
7. have a history of a nipple puncture;
8. pregnant or in those who, for other medical reasons, should not be exposed to x-rays (MRTG).

Contraindications for breast ultrasound

Breast ultrasound examination is safe and non-invasive. Because it does not use X-rays, but safe ultrasound waves, breast ultrasound can be performed even in pregnant women and breastfeeding women.

How to prepare for a breast ultrasound?

Breast ultrasound does not require special preparation. Remember that it is best to come to the test between the 1st and the 10th day of the menstrual cycle. At home, it is worth washing the breast area thoroughly. Before starting the examination, the doctor will certainly ask us a few questions. They will concern:

1. the date of the last menstrual period;
2. age;
3. information about previous breast operations (scars may darken the image);
4. taking hormonal drugs;
5. last childbirth and breastfeeding;
6. a family history of cancer of the breast, ovary or prostate;
7. previous breast examinations

The course of breast ultrasound examination

The doctor will ask you to remove your clothes and underwear above the waist. She will recommend lying on your back with your hands behind your head. Then, a special gel will be applied to the breast area, which will improve the examination image and make it easier to move the head over the patient’s skin. The doctor performing the test will gradually move the probe from different angles. To make some structures visible, it will also press the head more or less depending on the area being examined. The test will be performed separately for each breast.

Since from time to time the doctor will press the head harder to the breast, we may feel discomfort and even pain. However, if the pain appears at the beginning of the test, it is necessary to inform the person who conducts it.

After completion, the doctor will give us paper towels that will allow us to get rid of the remains of the gel used in the test. Then we will be able to get dressed and wait for the doctor to prepare a description of the examination. Already during the examination, the doctor can provide us with initial information about whether the ultrasound shows changes in the breasts. Usually, an ultrasound scan takes up to 15 minutes.

How is breast ultrasound different from mammography and breast biopsy?

Mammography is an examination that uses X-rays to quickly detect neoplastic changes in the area of ​​the mammary glands. This type of test should be performed by all women after the age of 40 (approximately every two years).

Breast biopsy it is, in turn, a more advanced examination, during which a piece of tissue from the breast gland is collected for histopathological examination. This test is performed in women in whom mammography, breast ultrasound or self-examination of the nipples have shown inducing changes (both for the doctor and the patient). In addition, the biopsy allows to determine the nature and size of the tumor.