Whats the difference between mammogram and ultrasound when it comes to breast cancer detection?
One of the early signs of breast cancer are certain types of microcalcifications. Microcalcifications are tiny deposits of calcium….about the size of a grain of salt. These can be seen fairly well on mammograms, but cannot be seen at all with ultrasound. If the only sign of breast cancer are these microcalcifications, an ultrasound will not see it. Also, a mammogram provides a good image of the entire breast, where as an ultrasound of the breast is highly directed. I mean, ultrasound is very good if the patient can feel a lump, and the ultrasound technologist can place the transducer (or camera) right over that area. It is also good when we find something suspicious on a mammogram, and we can see what area of the breast to direct our ultrasound images. But, it is not a good screening tool. Finding a small breast cancer, with ultrasound, without these positioning “clues” can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Mammograms should not be painful. They can be uncomfortable for some wo
