Automated Breast Ultrasound
Breast Ultrasound Screening for Dense Breasts
With 3D ultrasound and Automated Breast Ultrsound (ABUS) software, radiologists can look through hundreds of breast tissue image “slices,” looking at layers of dense tissue to find breast cancers which may have been missed on a mammogram. This is different than routine ultrasound of the breasts since the images from ABUS allow you to see in projections that routine ultrasound cannot, which results in the ability of physicians to detect more breast cancers and less false negatives (findings due to images which are not cancer).
Other Facts about ABUS:
• FDA-approved technology
• Insurance does cover this exam, however it is not covered under preventative care at this time and may go toward a deductible.
• ABUS does not replace a mammogram
• ABUS is recommended for patients with strong family history or whose mammogram reported “extremely dense”, “heterogeneously dense”, and “moderately dense” breast tissue.
What is Breast Density?
While dense breast tissue is perfectly normal – affecting approximately 40 percent of the population – breast density cannot be felt and it is not related to breast size or firmness. It can only be seen on a mammogram.
Breast tissue is considered dense if there is a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat. Fibrous and glandular tissue looks white on a mammogram, as does a possible tumor. This makes it difficult to tell the difference between a tumor and dense breast tissue on a mammogram.
Women with dense breasts should consider talking with their doctor about additional screening exams such as ABUS or Abbreviated breast MRI.
Breast Density Scale:
Almost entirely fatty
Scattered areas of fibroglandular density
Heterogeneously dense
Extremely dense