What is an "ultrasound" or a "sonogram"?

What is an "ultrasound" or a "sonogram"?

Richard E. Gould (Hematologist/Oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center) gives expert video advice on: How often should I have a mammogram?; Is a mammogram painful?; Is the radiation exposure from getting a mammogram harmful? and more...

An ultrasound is a non-invasive way of looking into the breast tissue. An ultrasound uses sound waves to bounce off of the breast tissue to look at different densities within the breast. Breast cancers are denser than the surrounding breast tissue, and so they will appear on an ultrasound as a solid area. An ultrasound can also pick up cysts, and ultrasounds are good for evaluating any abnormal lump or mass that a patient or a physician feels.