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Revolutionary Breakthrough in Breast Cancer Detection
At 49, Eva Smith is vigilant about getting her annual mammogram. But when a recent exam detected a mass in her left breast she was afraid – and not just about the prospect of breast cancer. She feared getting an invasive biopsy. According to the American Cancer Society, that eight out of 10 breast biopsies come back normal. But a revolutionary new technology – called elasticity imaging – is expected to help physicians better classify breast lesions that may reduce the need for biopsies. Elasticity imaging is an ultrasound technique recently cleared by the FDA that allows doctors to measure the stiffness of tissue, relative to surrounding areas. In a recent elasticity imaging study, doctors studied 166 suspected breast tumors in 99 women scheduled for biopsies. The lesions were measured using both the standard ultrasound technique and elasticity ultrasound. The results showed that elasticity imaging correctly identified all 17 malignant lesions and 105 of 106 benign lesions. In Eva’s case, an elasticity ultrasound determined the mass in her breast was benign and did not require a biopsy.
