Are breast ultrasound or breast MRI as good as mammography in screening for breast cancer?
Although advances are being made in the evaluation of breast disease by these other modalities, only mammography is currently approved and recommended for a screening test. Breast ultrasound and MRI operate on different principles than mammography. Breast ultrasound uses sound waves and breast MRI relies upon a magnetic field with pulses of radiowave energy. In some cases, breast ultrasound and MRI can complement mammography and can help in problem-solving. However, both ultrasound and MRI may result in falsely positive and falsely negative work-ups. In other words, some abnormalities may be detected that are not due to breast cancer or other real concerns, whereas on the other hand, some cases of breast cancer may be missed. The breast specialist radiologist, sometimes in conjunction with a surgeon or your doctor, will determine whether any imaging other than mammography is necessary for you. My mammogram is negative, so the lump I feel is nothing to worry about. Although mammograms a
