Amanda Gardner
,Health•April 26, 2019
If you’ve ever felt a suspicious lump or something painful in your breast, chances are it’s nothing. But if you’re under the age of 30, chances are also good that your doctor will suggest an ultrasound to make absolutely sure.
Ultrasound is the imaging choice for younger women who need to have potentially problematic areas in their breasts checked out. It uses sound waves to get a picture of the inside of your breasts. In older age groups, ultrasound is usually combined with another imaging modalities—like screening mammography—to suss out suspicious areas.
“In very young women without any risk factors [for breast cancer], we’ll start with ultrasound if there are symptoms to limit radiation exposure,” says Sabala Mandava, MD, director of the Division of Breast Imaging at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. “The risk of radiation outweighs the benefit of obtaining a mammogram. If we do see something suspicious on ultrasound, then a mammogram may be performed.”
A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray, so it does emit some radiation. Ultrasound does not, which also makes it safer for women who are pregnant.
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