Ultrasound technique may reduce breast biopsies
Ultrasound technique may reduce breast biopsies
Ultrasound technology eventually could reduce the number of breast biopsies performed annually in the United States by as much as one-third, according to the manufacturer of a breast imaging system.
Advanced Technology Laboratories of Bothell, WA, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in April to market its High Definition Imaging digital ultrasound system as a method of determining whether solid breast lumps are benign.
Studies showed that 40% of about 600,000 benign lesions biopsied each year could have been detected by the ultrasound, which would eliminate the need for the surgical procedure in those cases, says Jane Hedberg, director of marketing and communications for Advanced Technology Laboratories.
"Biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosing cancer," she says. But the ultrasound method could significantly reduce the number of "indeterminant" lesions referred for biopsy, she says.
Currently, the ultrasound technique is being used only at 14 sites nationwide. Physicians will require training to use the technology to examine solid lesions. It is already in widespread use to determine if breast lumps are cystic or solid.
While other manufacturers produce high- performance ultrasound equipment, Advanced Technology Laboratories is the only one approved by the FDA to market it for this use, Hedberg says.
A traditional biopsy costs $2,500 or more, while the ultrasound procedure will cost $75 to $300, says Hedberg. The ultrasound system costs $100,000 to $120,000, depending on the features available on the unit.
[Editor's note: For more information on the ATL ultrasound system, contact Jane Hedberg, Director of Marketing Communications, Advanced Technology Laboratories, 22100 Bothell Everett Highway, P.O. Box 3003, Bothell, WA 98041-3003. Telephone: (800) 982-2011. Fax: (206) 487-7913.] *
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