ROLE OF ULTRASOUND IN BREAST CALCIFICATIONS DETECTION

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for about 1 in 8 cancer diagnoses worldwide. In 2024, there were approximately 2.3 million new cases and 685,000 deaths globally.By 2040, these numbers are estimated to rise to over 3 million cases and 1 million deaths annually. Mammography plays a crucial role in the early detection of breast cancer, significantly improving treatment outcomes by identifying cancers before symptoms appear. Advances like 3D mammography offer improved detection rates, especially in dense breasts. Despite its benefits, there are certain limitations of mammographic studies as in case of dense beast tissue, technical errors of poor positioning, compression and poor image quality can lead to false negative results. Ultrasound plays a significant role in breast cancer diagnosis, particularly in specific cases as in dense breast tissue. Ultrasound also plays a role in characterizing the lesion as it aids in differentiation between solid masses and fluid-filled cysts, guiding further diagnostic steps as ultrasound guided breast tissue biopsy. So, it can be a complementary tool alongside mammography to investigate suspicious areas of the breast.