Clinical Edge

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Ultrasonography Screening in Breast Cancer

JAMA Intern Med; ePub 2019 Mar 18; Lee, et al

The benefits of supplemental ultrasonography screening may not outweigh associated harms, a new study found. Researchers sought to determine the performance of screening mammography plus screening ultrasonography compared with screening mammography alone in community practice. They found:

  • Screening mammography with vs without ultrasonography examinations was performed more often in women with dense breasts, in women aged <50 years, and in women with a family history of breast cancer.
  • For women with breast cancer risk ranging from low to very high, there were significantly higher short-interval follow-up and therapy recommendation rates with screening mammography plus same-day ultrasonography vs mammography alone.
  • However, no significant increase in cancer detection or decrease in interval cancers rates were observed.

Citation:

Lee JM, Arao RF, Sprague BL, et al. Performance of screening ultrasonography as an adjunct to screening mammography in women across the spectrum of breast cancer risk. [Published online ahead of print March 18, 2019]. JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.8372.