Mammograms aren't exactly reliable for women with dense breasts looking to check if they have cancer. This is why experts developed the automated whole breast ultrasound, an apparatus which accurately screens dense breasts for cancer in just a matter of minutes.
For the automated whole breast ultrasound -- also called ABUS -- a probe would be used by a technician to pass over both breasts thrice, WTVM-TV explained. The ABUS utilizes sound waves to form 3D images and discover cancer lesions in only 15 minutes.
Breast imaging specialists use both the mammogram and the ABUS on women with dense breasts. When used together, both techniques can find cancers in women with dense breasts precisely. There are times when mammograms fail to detect tumors in dense breasts because they contain less fatty tissue and have more gland tissue.
ABUS Is Not For Everyone
ABUS screenings is priced around $200 to $350, and isn't available for anyone who wants to undergo the procedure. Women who don't have dense breasts will not be allowed to take an ABUS screening, given that the apparatus also detects false positives and benign tumors.
According to BreastCancer.org, dense breasts can be inherited. Women who have dense breasts are six percent more at risk to develop cancer. For women who have the condition, doctors advise them to exercise frequently, sustain their healthy body mass, lessen alcohol intake, consume nutritious food and quit smoking cigarettes.
Fertility Treatments Affect Breast Density
A study conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that women who underwent fertility treatments, specifically controlled ovarian simulation (COS) are more likely to possess dense breasts, Science Daily reported. COS boosts estrogen and progesterone levels in women, but it can also trigger breast cancers.
In 2013, Nevada Assembly member James Ohrenschall supported a law that obliges doctors to inform women if their breasts are dense once they submit their mammogram reports, per KNPR. Nancy Cappello, director and founder of the non-profit Are You Dense and breast cancer survivor, helped implement laws in 25 U.S. states -- with Connecticut serving as the frontrunner -- that tackle dense breasts and mammogram screenings.
There are 45 to 50 percent of women above 40 years old with dense breasts, PR Newswire stated. Mammograms are acknowledged by the medical community for helping lowering deaths due to breast cancer among women.
However, more sophisticated imaging screenings, like the ABUS, have to demonstrate their value to the medical world so it can be developed and distributed wider to the market. What do you think about this new technology? Share your thoughts below!
