Whole Breast Ultrasound

Automated whole-breast ultrasound (AWBUS) is a breakthrough in ultrasound breast imaging technology, which uses sound waves to create 3-dimensional images of breast tissue. It was developed in order to find cancers hidden in dense breast tissue, which may be missed by mammography.

Studies show that ultrasound and mammography performed together can find more cancers in women with dense breasts than mammography alone. It’s important to note that AWBUS is not a substitute for mammography, which remains the foundation of breast cancer screening.

About the Procedure

Whole Breast Ultrasound is painless, requires little patient preparation and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. A layer of lotion is applied to the breast, and then a sheer membrane covering the transducer is firmly positioned on the breast, which automatically scans the breasts. Each breast will usually be scanned in 3 different planes taking about 6-8 minutes per breast. This will provide high resolution digital images — from chest wall to skin which can be reconstructed in any dimension — for the radiologist to review. The radiologist can search through hundreds of images of breast tissue from multiple angles, virtually peeling away the layers of dense tissue to find cancers, which might be otherwise obscured during mammography.

If you have dense breast tissue, ask your doctor if the whole breast ultrasound examination is appropriate for you.

Whole Breast Ultrasound examinations are performed at the Mercy Health Comprehensive Breast Center in Muskegon.

To schedule an appointment, call 855-672-2008.