Breast ultrasound: functions, procedures, and preparations required

You may be more familiar with uterine ultrasound to monitor pregnancy. However, in fact, ultrasound can also be used to check the condition of the breast, which is called a mammary ultrasound. This type of ultrasound is often recommended for early detection of breast cancer. So, how is this procedure done?

What is a breast ultrasound (breast ultrasound)?

Breast ultrasound (ultrasound) is a procedure to check the condition of the breast using high-frequency sound waves (ultrasonic). Ultrasonic waves will be emitted from a special machine to produce detailed images of the tissues and structures in the breast.

Through ultrasound, breast problems or disorders can be detected, including breast cancer. Thus, the doctor can determine the right type of treatment.

Mammary ultrasound is often performed after mammography for breast cancer screening. However, this test is also often recommended for women who cannot have mammography because the high radiation exposure is dangerous for the condition.

Some of these women, namely those under 25 years of age, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or using silicone breast implants.

What is the function or use of breast ultrasound?

A mammary ultrasound can be done as the first imaging test to detect any possible changes in the breast, such as a lump or other symptoms of breast cancer. However, this examination can also be done to verify the results of other imaging tests, such as a breast MRI or mammography.

Reporting from the American Cancer Society, ultrasound is usually done to check for breast lumps that can be felt, but are not clearly visible on mammography.

This examination is often performed on women with dense breast tissue. This is because abnormal tissue or lumps in dense breasts is difficult to detect through mammography.

In addition, the mammary ultrasound can also find out whether the lump in the breast is filled with fluid (breast cyst) or solid tissue (tumor). This procedure is often used to help doctors perform breast biopsy.

Preparations before mammary ultrasound

Actually there is no special preparation before doing a breast ultrasound. However, you should pay attention to the things below to make it easier during the examination and get optimal results.

• Don't apply lotions, creams, powders, or products skin care or any make-up to the breast skin area.
• Remove any metal objects that are on your body, such as jewelry or watches.
• Wear clothes that are easy to remove or wear clothing that allows the doctor or radiologist to easily reach your chest without removing all the clothes, such as a button-up shirt or with a zipper, not overalls such as dress.

Breast ultrasound examination process

Breast ultrasound usually takes 10-15 minutes. During the screening, you will be asked to sleep lying down with your arms above your head to make the examination easier.

After that, the doctor will apply cold clear gel to the skin of the breast evenly. This gel helps emit sound waves to move through the breast tissue.

The doctor will then move a device called a transducer which is shaped like a stick over the breast. The transducer will send sound waves from the machine to the breast tissue and record images of the tissue in its path.

In addition to scanning the breast, the doctor will also check the armpit area to check for swelling of the lymph nodes around the breast.

How to read breast ultrasound results

An ultrasound image of the breast is called an ultrasonogram. The resulting image will appear in black and white gradations. The bumps will generally appear darker than the existing image.

However, the presence of dark dots on an ultrasound does not necessarily mean that you have breast cancer. Most lumps found in the breast are benign, such as fibroadenomas, fibrocystic breasts, intraductal papillomas, breast fat necrosis, or breast cysts.

However, if your doctor doubts your breast ultrasound results or finds other conditions, you may need to undergo other tests. MRI and biopsy are often options to determine whether the lump is just a benign tumor or cancer.

Are there any risks to breast ultrasound for health?

Breast ultrasound is a safe procedure and has minimal side effects for health. This test also causes no pain at all, unless the lump you have is painful.

However, the risk may occur depending on your health condition. Therefore, if you experience certain symptoms after having an ultrasound, you may need to consult a doctor to determine the cause.

In addition, the smoothness of the process and the final result of this mammary ultrasound will also greatly depend on your overall health condition. However, the general practitioner will first explain the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure before starting it.

Therefore, be sure to always consult a doctor or medical officer before scheduling an ultrasound screening. No need to worry, because the doctor will recommend the best treatment for your condition.

What are the disadvantages of breast ultrasound compared to other procedures?

With all its advantages, breast ultrasound has several limitations, such as:

• Cannot take a picture of the entire breast at once.
• Can't describe the area too deep. Ultrasound can only find lumps that are still on the surface of the breast, but cannot show any abnormalities or lumps in deeper areas.
• Does not replace mammography as an annual imaging test. Ultrasound is one of the tools used in breast imaging, but it cannot replace yearly mammography because of many breast problems, including cancer, which ultrasound often cannot see. Therefore, ultrasound alone is not sufficient to detect and prevent breast cancer in the future.
• Other screening tests are generally recommended to confirm the condition of your breasts, such as a breast biopsy or MRI, even if the result is not cancer.
• Cannot show microcalcification. Mammography can show signs of microcalcification, but breast ultrasound does not. In fact, microcalcification is often suspected of being the forerunner of breast cancer cells.