When is an ultrasound useful for diagnosing breast cancer?

When is an ultrasound useful for diagnosing breast cancer?

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...

With regards to breast cancer diagnosis, an ultrasound is a non-invasive way of looking at the breast tissue. It's usually ordered when a woman or her physician feels an abnormal lump in her breast. The ultrasound uses sound waves to help differentiate between normal breast tissue and any underlying masses. The ultrasound can tell whether these masses are solid or cystic, to which it can then be used to determine the next steps in the evaluation for that mass.