To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Ultrasonography for Breast Cancer Diagnosis Deemed Useful in Large Case Series: Presented at ASBS URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2211F2.htm Doctor's Guide May 12, 2008
By Carole Bullock NEW YORK -- May 12, 2008 -- Ultrasonography is an effective tool for assessing surgical margins and minimising the need for re-excision in patients with a breast cancer diagnosis, according to results reported here at the 9th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS 2008). "Other advantages include the ability to differentiate benign from malignant nodules, confirming a preoperative diagnosis in a nonpalpable solid nodule, and aiding in surgical planning," said Harold Bruck, MD, Attending Physician, Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, New Jersey, and Clinical Instructor, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York. Dr. Bruck reported the study involving a large, single-centre database in a poster presentation on May 3. "Ultrasonography is extraordinary because it is accurate and provides timely information; I would encourage surgical residents to be trained in using it," Dr. Bruck said in an interview. Dr. Bruck and colleagues retrospectively reviewed 2,808 consecutive patients treated from January 1998 to August 2006. The researchers looked for indications, findings, and follow-up, and compared cytology and pathology reports with mammography and US findings looking for evidence of concordance. Results of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and core biopsy were analysed, as were cases in which intraoperative ultrasound was employed. Of 1,219 diagnostic ultrasound examinations, the majority were done for breast thickening, a lump, or lumpiness discovered by the patient or the referring physician. Of these, 13.5% were patients at high risk of breast cancer. Ultrasound-guided FNA, selected for benign appearing nodules and cystic change, was done in 933 cases. Of these, 46 patients who were highly suspect for cancer according to mammography findings were confirmed by FNA cytology, and 8 were suspicious for cancer. Of 505 ultrasound-guided core biopsies, 205 (40.6%) were carcinomas. Intraoperative ultrasound was used in 151 cases; 47 of these cases were diagnosed preoperatively as invasive carcinoma. All were excised with clear surgical margins. The study shows that ultrasonography is accurate and may be essential to a surgeon for diagnosing a breast abnormality as effectively as a bone X-ray is essential to an orthopaedic surgeon, he commented. [Presentation title: Ultrasonography in a Breast Surgical Practice: A Personal Experience in 2,808 Cases. Poster 33] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.