Ultrasound plus mammography may detect more early cancers

Ultrasound exams can significantly increase the chance of detecting breast cancer early in women with dense breast tissue, finds new research. Women should be told how dense their breasts are, which only a mammogram can determine, and those with the densest tissue should also have an ultrasound examination, it concludes (Radiology 2002;225:165-75). Breast density is affected by age, motherhood, and hormone replacement therapy, but size and texture are not reliable predictors of breast density. Researchers compared how well mammography, physical breast exam, and ultrasound detected cancers in 11 130 …