In recent years, the incidence rate of breast cancer is on the rise. Many women, due to a lack of knowledge about breast tumors, have already reached the late stage of cancer when they discover the disease, and even miss the best treatment opportunity. With the continuous development of ultrasound technology, ultrasound has the advantages of convenience, non invasiveness, non radiation, and repeatability, gradually becoming one of the important means for diagnosing breast tumors in clinical practice. So how to classify and diagnose breast tumors using ultrasound? The following text will provide a detailed explanation.
1. Classification of breast tumor ultrasound diagnosis
Breast ultrasound examination can clearly observe the overall condition of the female breast, whether there is a lump, etc., and can also make judgments on the size, shape, benign or malignant nature of the lump. Gradually, the BI-RADS grading standard (the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American Society of Radiology) is used for imaging examinations of the breast.
BI-RADS1 class refers to a disease with a zero possibility of malignancy and no positive clinical signs; Imaging examinations did not reveal any lumps, skin thickening, structural distortions, or microcalcifications. It is recommended that patients undergo routine follow-up examinations. BI-RADS2 indicates the presence of benign lesions in the patient's body, but the possibility of malignant lesions can be ruled out. It is recommended to have a follow-up examination every six months or a year based on the patient's age and clinical manifestations. BI-RADS3 indicates that there may be benign lesions in the patient's body, and the follow-up time needs to be shortened. A follow-up should be conducted every 3 to 6 months, and additional examinations should be performed based on the patient's physical condition. For BI-RADS3 patients, clear typical benign ultrasound features can be detected during ultrasound examination, which can be combined with clinical MRI to enhance diagnosis. BI-RADS class 4 indicates the presence of suspected malignant lesions in the patient's body, with a probability of malignancy ranging from 2% to 95%. Diagnosis can be confirmed through surgical biopsy, cytological examination, and other methods. BI-RADS5 class refers to diseases with high malignancy, and ultrasound images have obvious malignant characteristics, with a malignancy rate of up to 95%, which can be treated through surgery or percutaneous biopsy. The BI-RADS6 class represents diseases that have been confirmed to be malignant.
2. How to diagnose breast tumors
In clinical practice, the diagnosis of breast tumors mainly includes breast ultrasound, breast palpation imaging diagnostic equipment, breast mammography, and low-frequency electronic pulse infrared therapy equipment. Among them, breast ultrasound can observe the elasticity of the tumor site and color Doppler blood flow in patients. Due to the convenience of ultrasound examination and the absence of radiation trauma, it is suitable for women of any age. Moreover, breast ultrasound examination is very sensitive to cystic lesions, which is beneficial for distinguishing between cystic and solid masses. However, ultrasound also has certain drawbacks in clinical practice, as it often cannot display or reliably analyze benign or malignant lesions. The accuracy of disease diagnosis largely depends on the equipment and the experience of the physician. Mammography is also a routine examination for breast diseases in clinical practice, characterized by low pain, no trauma, high resolution, and good repeatability. It has high diagnostic accuracy for fat breast or large breast.
Because of the high incidence rate of breast cancer, screening for breast cancer should be conducted at least once a year for people with high-risk factors of breast cancer. The screening methods should not only include mammography, but also breast ultrasound and MRI. Once the body is diagnosed with breast tumor, the first step is to adjust one's mentality and adopt a scientific and effective treatment plan based on the severity of the disease and physical condition after evaluation by a doctor. Clinical experience has shown that timely intervention for diseases causes less trauma to the body and has a better prognosis.