Thermography, Mammography or Ultrasound? Part 3
Filed Under Breast Health |
ULTRASOUND is another common test. Some points to consider:
• Structural test, can pinpoint the location of suspicious area
• Uses sound waves with moderate contact
• High-frequency sound waves are bounced off the breast tissue and collected as an echo to produce an image
• Able to detect some tumors missed by mammography
• No data available on detecting pre-invasive tumors
• May be affected by hormonal influence due to the menstrual cycle, (i.e. cystic changes)
• All areas of the breast and axillary region can be analyzed
• Good for distinguishing between solid and fluid masses, which helps in investigating an area of concern due to findings from mammography, thermography or physical examination
• Average specificity 66% (34% false positive)
• Average sensitivity 83% (17% of cancers missed)
Next week, I will discuss thermography and its importance in breast health.
Dr. Alex Mostovoy
