Does a woman with breast cancer need an ultrasound?

Question

Hello doctor,

My aunt has breast cancer. The doctor says she needs a breast ultrasound.

Can you tell me if ultrasonography is the same as that?
I heard of screening for breast cancer, but is that the same?
I am worried about how serious this is. She has been feeling down and not eating well.
The doctor mentioned some treatment options, but it is confusing. We do not know much about the medical terms. I hope they are not too painful. She is also scared about what the doctor will say next. Is ultrasound essential for her case?
Can someone help us understand what to expect?

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

At her age, 35 years, if there is a lump in her breast, then it needs to be done by ultrasound or ultrasonography, which is the same. First, she needs an ultrasound for screening of her breast to see any lump, size, whether it is mobile or fixed, and texture. If ultrasound shows a lump, then she may need to do a true cut or ultrasound-guided biopsy (a medical procedure that involves collecting a small sample of tissue or cells from the body to check for the presence of disease or damage) of the lump, which will be done under local anesthesia, not painful.

Risk factors for breast cancer are:

Family history.
Genetic predisposition.
Early or late menstruation.
Radiation exposure.
Use of tobacco and smoking.

Treatment will depend on the type of breast tumor, whether benign or malignant, tumor size, and staging. So, it is better to do an ultrasound because early detection of breast tumors and their management will be better than late detection.

I hope this information will help you.

Kindly revert in case of queries.

Thank you.