Ultrasound imaging is a technique that uses high frequency sound waves to create pictures of the breasts and other tissues and organs. As the sound waves pas through your body they are reflected back to the ultrasound machine in different ways, depending on the characteristics of the tissues they have encountered.

Benefits and Uses of Ultrasound

Ultrasound, also known as ultrasonography, does not replace mammograms. Instead it provides a supplementary tool for detecting and diagnosing breast cancer. For example, ultrasound is particularly good for distinguishing whether a lump detected by other means is a cyst (likely to be benign) or a solid mass (which could indicate a tumor). In addition, ultrasound is typically the method of choice for guiding physicians as they do outpatient needle biopsies.

Ultrasound imaging is also useful for detecting tumors in women with breast implants (which can interfere with mammogram rays), and in women with dense breast tissue. This last point makes ultrasound a particularly desirable addition for women at high risk of developing breast cancer who are more likely to begin screening at a younger age, when breast tissue tends to be more dense.

Finally, although ultrasound isn’t meant to be used alone to screen for breast cancer, in some instances it may be the method of choice. For example, ultrasound may be the preferred imaging option for a pregnant women who has discovered a breast lump, but cannot be exposed to radiation from a mammogram because it would harm the fetus. 

Stanford Expertise

Like all of the imaging professionals at the Stanford Cancer Center, the ultrasound practitioners are highly regarded in their field and see a considerable number of patients each month. Because the results of breast ultrasound are technique dependent and have been shown to be more accurate when a skilled doctor interprets them, our experience can provide you confidence in your results.

State-of-the-art Equipment

Because the Cancer Center performs so many breast ultrasounds, we have a dedicated unit for these procedures. This makes scheduling an appointment easier, and typically means that you can receive an ultrasound in the same appointment as when you receive a mammogram.

In addition, the Cancer Center has brought together MRI, ultrasound, and mammogram workstations into one reading room where the results of these multiple studies can be directly correlated with each other to provide the most accurate picture of breast tumors.