Automated breast ultrasound was associated with fewer short-interval follow-up recommendations than handheld ultrasound among women with dense breasts, with no apparent difference in cancer detection, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Here are five things to know:
- Researchers analyzed 25,328 screening ultrasound examinations among 21,446 women at 27 radiology facilities. The study included 4,218 automated breast ultrasound examinations and 21,110 handheld ultrasound examinations conducted from 2017 to 2020.
- Short-interval follow-up recommendations occurred in 3% of automated ultrasound screenings compared with 14.6% of handheld ultrasound screenings — nearly five times the rate.
- Automated ultrasound also had a lower abnormal interpretation rate, at 14.9% compared with 19.2% for handheld ultrasound.
- False-positive initial assessments were 14.6% with automated ultrasound compared with 19.1% with handheld ultrasound. Researchers found no apparent differences in biopsy recommendations or false-positive biopsy recommendations.
- Researchers found no apparent difference in cancer detection between the two methods. They concluded that automated breast ultrasound should be considered an effective alternative to handheld ultrasound for appropriately selected women with dense breasts.
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