Adding whole-breast US finds cancers DBT misses

In this presentation, Yale University researchers will discuss how supplemental whole-breast ultrasound performed in addition to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) can detect cancers DBT misses.

Dr. Regina Hooley and colleagues conducted a review of 1,039 women who had handheld whole-breast ultrasound exams between October 2011 and September 2012, and who had prior normal DBT mammograms performed within 12 months before the ultrasound exams.

Of the 1,039 ultrasound exams, 599 were prevalence screenings and 440 were incidence screenings, according to the researchers. Of all lesions found, 87.2% were BI-RADS 1 or 2, 9.8% were BI-RADS 3, and 3% were BI-RADS 4; there were no BI-RADS 5 lesions.

Two of the BI-RADS 4 lesions were malignant infiltrating ductal carcinomas. Both were identified on a prevalence whole-breast ultrasound, and both were not seen on DBT, even in retrospect, the group said.