Targeted ultrasound reduces biopsies
Reported December 03, 2009
CHICAGO, Dec. 3 (UPI) — Targeted breast ultrasound may reduce the need for biopsies for women under age 40, U.S. medical researchers said.
Senior author Dr. Constance Lehman of the University of Washington in Seattle and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and colleagues conducted two studies where targeted ultrasound effectively distinguished between potentially cancerous masses and benign findings in young women who had detected areas of concern in their breasts.
The first study included 1,123 ultrasound examinations of women under age 30, while the second included 1,577 ultrasound examinations of women ages 30-39.
The researchers concluded high-quality breast ultrasound should be the diagnostic tool of choice for young women seeking care for breast lumps and other suspicious signs and symptoms.
“It is time we used ultrasound to reduce unnecessary morbidity and costs associated with more aggressive invasive approaches,” Lehman said in a statement.
The findings of the two studies were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
Source : United Press International
