Auxiliary examination methods for breast cancer

The significance of auxiliary examination for breast cancer is to confirm the condition through scientific examination methods, because it is impossible to determine whether breast cancer has occurred based on external symptoms alone. Auxiliary examination is an important basis for doctors to confirm whether a patient has breast cancer. Currently, commonly used auxiliary examination methods are breast mammography, breast B-ultrasound, and dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

1. Mammography (also known as molybdenum-palladium examination)

Mammography is currently the first choice for diagnosing breast diseases and is the simplest and most reliable non-invasive test method. It is now used as a routine examination. Its characteristics are that it can detect breast lumps that doctors cannot touch, is highly sensitive to small calcifications, and can detect some characteristic calcifications at an early stage.

2. Breast B-ultrasound:

B-ultrasound scans can differentiate between cystic and solid lesions of the breast. Ultrasound scans of breast cancer often show low-echo masses with irregular shapes and uneven internal echoes. Color ultrasound can show blood flow signals inside and around the masses. Because young women have dense glands and rich fibrous tissue, they often show dense shadows throughout the breast and lack layered contrast. Therefore, young women under the age of 35 can use breast B-ultrasound as the preferred screening method. In addition, B-ultrasound scans have advantages in observing axillary lymph nodes.

3. Dynamic Enhanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

MRI is the imaging examination method with the highest resolution for soft tissues, and has many advantages over X-rays and B-ultrasound. For example, it is reliable in diagnosing multicentric lesions; its sensitivity and specificity are both above 90%; it is not affected by dense breasts, deep and high factors; the image can be rotated or cut in any plane, and can clearly show tiny tumors; the distribution data of tumor microvessels can provide more tumor functional parameters and treatment responses; in cases of tumor necrosis and fibrous tissue hyperplasia after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, palpation and B-ultrasound are difficult to truly reflect the scope of residual tumors, and MRI has unparalleled advantages over other examination methods in this regard. However, it is not suitable for patients with pacemakers and metal in the body.