Automated Breast Volume Sonography Improves Cancer Detection Among Asian Women

Use of automated breast volume sonography (ABVS) significantly improves breast cancer detection among Asian women, according to researchers from Thailand.

The study, presented April 28 at the 2012 American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, was performed at the Bangkok Breast Center where researchers reviewed 504 findings in 212 patients, comparing ABVS findings with hand-held ultrasound (HHUS).

The ABVS agreed with HHUS in detecting 15 suspicious lesions, but also detected 12 additional suspicious lesions and excluded 12 suspicious lesions.

There have been improvements to digital mammography, but Thai breasts are mammography difficult, said Wilaiporn Bhothisuwan, MD, lead author of the study. “ABVS has helped us overcome some of the known technical limitations of US, which include a limited field of view and scans that require high skill, experience, and time.” She added that with ABVS, the field of view was large enough to cover most Asian breasts.

The image improvement is also important, noted Bhothisuwan and co-author Pramaporn Kimhamanon. “The images from this scan come in multi-slices and multi-planes and can be displayed, manipulated, archived, and restored in the same way as CT volume scan,” said Bhothisuwan. “This helps solve the problem of operator dependency and gives more reproducible and standardized imagine.”