(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Doctors may have a new test to offer women to help
determine if a mass in the breast is malignant or benign. A new study finds
three-dimensional (3-D) power Doppler ultrasound helps radiologists determine if
a mass is cancerous.
“Using 3-D scans promises greater accuracy due to more consistent sampling over
the entire tumor,” lead author, Gerald L. LeCarpentier, PhD, assistant professor
in the Department of Radiology at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, was
quoted as saying. “Our study shows that 3-D power Doppler ultrasound may be
useful in the evaluation of some breast masses.”
For the study, researchers recruited 78 women between the ages of 26 and 70 who
were scheduled for biopsy for a suspicious mass in their breast. Each woman
underwent a 3-D Doppler ultrasound exam before the biopsy. Radiologists then
compared their results from the ultrasound to the biopsy results.
Researchers found the test was highly accurate. Cancerous tumors were identified
100 percent of the time and benign tumors were specified 86 percent of the time.
Study authors explain that malignant breast masses often have increased blood
flow. They say this technology allows radiologists to better detect vessels with
higher flow speeds, which indicates the tumor could be cancerous.
SOURCE: Radiology, 2008
