RSNA LogoThis news concerns the fairer sex as it is regarding breast cancer. Apparently, Elastography appears to be an effectual, suitable method that, when included to breast ultrasound could aid in differentiating cancerous breast lesions from benign results. At least this is what a latest study claims.

When mammography generates doubtful discoveries, physicians may frequently utilize ultrasound to get hold of supplementary information. Nevertheless ultrasound seems to have the possibility to result in more biopsies owing to its comparatively low specificity, or incapability to precisely differentiate cancerous lesions from benign ones. As per American Cancer Society, about 80 percent of breast lesions biopsies turn out to be benign.

Study’s lead author, Stamatia V. Destounis, M.D., a diagnostic radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care, a large, community-based breast imaging center in Rochester, N.Y, commented, “There’s a lot of room to improve specificity with ultrasound, and elastography can help us do that. It’s an easy way to eliminate needle biopsy for something that’s probably benign.”

The ultrasound’s specificity is apparently enhanced by Elastography by applying conventional ultrasound imaging to gauge the compressibility and mechanical properties of a lesion. As cancerous tumors are apparently inclined to be stiffer as opposed to adjacent healthy tissue or cysts, a more compressible lesion on elastography apparently has fewer chances to be malignant.

Destounis mentioned, “You can perform elastography at the same time as handheld ultrasound and view the images on a split screen, with the two-dimensional ultrasound image on the left and the elastography image on the right.”

The current study included around 179 patients who experienced breast ultrasound and elastography. The study team received around 184 elastograms and conducted biopsies on all solid lesions. Of the 134 biopsies, around 56 turned out to be cancerous. Elastography is said to have correctly recognized about 98 percent of lesions that had malignant discoveries on biopsy, and about 82 percent of lesions was revealed to be benign. Elastography was apparently more precise compared to ultrasound in measuring the size of the lesions.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).