In a recent latest news article, CancerQuest presented research describing the anxiey patients often suffer when presented with a false-positive reading of a mammography. Much of this stress is due to the fact that the patients must then undergo additional screenings, which often include biopsies of the breast tissue. A new ultrasound technique, however, may reduce the number of patients needing this procedure. Elastography evaluates the 'hardness' of tissue. Malignant tumors are usually harder than benign tumors, and elastography has been shown to distinguish between the two with 79% accuracy. This technique, when combined with current screening procedures, may reduce the number of women needing biopsies after a positive reading of a mammogram.
Top