Ultrasound and mammography are essential for breast scanning. One investigation does not rule out the other, with cases in which the doctor may recommend both.
When? I found out from the endocrinologist Adrian Comănici.
Ultrasound (or breast ultrasound, as it is also called because it is done with the help of ultrasound) is recommended for women regardless of their age, for routine breast scanning. Mammography, on the other hand, being irradiated, is indicated for women after the age of 40 or for those who have health problems, for further investigations.
ADVERTISEMENT
The first thing I learned from the endocrinologist Adrian Comaneci: both mammography and ultrasonography are just one stage, which raises an alarm, the exact diagnosis of breast cancer is not made! Following these investigations, if your doctor has any suspicions about the identified lesions and nodules, he or she will refer you to a specialist.
Up to 40 years: ultrasound
Ultrasound or ultrasound is performed with the help of ultrasound, without causing pain. Because it “sees” tumors even when the breast is denser, it is suitable for younger women. Currently, in Romania, there are high-performance ultrasonographers, generically called 4D, which analyze the breast on tomographic sections and which provide a very accurate image. Thus, the doctor is assured that he will not overlook any unusual formation in the breast. Why 4D? Such ultrasonographers obtain 3D images and render them in real-time – time is the fourth dimension. Such modern ultrasonographs, which are found in two clinics in Romania, Bucharest, and Craiova, greatly reduce the scanning time. If on a regular ultrasound, 2 D, the scan is done in 40-45 minutes, with a 4D ultrasonograph it can be done in 5-10 minutes. “A high-performance ultrasonograph provides accurate information about the location of the tumor and the number of nodules,” explains doctor Adrian Comănici, from the Mirmed Aslan Clinic, Bucharest, the center where one of the two 4D ultrasonographers is located. At the end of the investigation, the patient receives a picture or a CD with the scanned images.
After 40 years: mammography
Unlike ultrasonography, mammography “sees” and microcalcifications in the breast. These formations may suggest the presence of cancer, depending on their arrangement in the breast. The disadvantage of mammography: irradiates and causes discomfort because the breasts are pressed to obtain images. It is best not to do the investigation before, during, and immediately after the menstrual cycle, when the breasts are more sensitive. “It should be noted that ultrasonography does not exclude mammography, the two investigations are completed.
Therefore, in situations where the doctor notices something unusual during the ultrasound, until consultation with the oncologist, he will recommend a mammogram “, states Dr. Adrian Comănici.
