Ultrasound as the Primary Screening Test for Breast Cancer: Analysis From ACRIN 6666

Abstract

Cancer detection rate with US is comparable with mammography, with a greater proportion of invasive and node-negative cancers among US detections. False positives are more common with US screening.

Clinicopathological characteristics and long-term prognosis of screening detected non-palpable breast cancer by ultrasound in hospital-based Chinese population (2001-2014)

“…Milestone studies showed that ultrasound (US) was not only a useful supplementary imaging tool of MG for women with dense breast or elevated risk [8–14], but an effective primary screening test for breast cancer both in the western world and in China [7, 15–18]. US was widely used as initial imaging test for breast detection in hospitals in China, and also designated as the primary screening tool in the standard protocol of the Two Cancers Screening Project jointly launched by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (former Ministry of Health of China) and the All-China Women's Federation [19–22].…”

Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening in Women With Dense Breasts Should Be Offered With Simultaneous Collection of Outcomes Data

“…Among 202 cancers detected in the intervention group, 144 (71.3%) were stage 0 or I compared to only 79/152 (52.0%) in the control group (p=0.019). In the ACRIN 6666 trial, supplemental ultrasound improved detection of mostly node-negative invasive breast cancers (25/32 [78%], of women diagnosed with breast cancer seen only on ultrasound had stage I disease); detection benefits of ultrasound occurred in women whose breast density was visually estimated at only 25–40% though there was a trend for greater increase in cancer detection with increasing breast density (6). …”

Objective breast tissue image classification using Quantitative Transmission ultrasound tomography

“…Hand held ultrasound (HHUS) has been a mainstay of diagnostic breast imaging12. While the impact of HHUS in breast imaging is clear and it has been shown to be prominent in detection of mammographically occult breast cancers in women with dense breast parenchyma1, the use has been limited due to operator variability and reproducibility of two dimensional images3.…”

“…While the impact of HHUS in breast imaging is clear and it has been shown to be prominent in detection of mammographically occult breast cancers in women with dense breast parenchyma1, the use has been limited due to operator variability and reproducibility of two dimensional images3. Recent developments in paradigm of ultrasound breast imaging now allow fully automated45 and true 3D image acquisition and reconstruction6.…”