LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health is now offering Invenia ABUS 2.0 (Automated Breast Ultrasound System), approved by the FDA for breast cancer screening, to be used in addition to mammography for women with dense breast tissue and an average lifetime risk of breast cancer.
“We are pleased to add automated whole breast ultrasound to our breast cancer screening program,” said Dr. Amanda Ferrell, medical director of Baptist Health Breast Center. “By using mammography – the gold standard for breast cancer detection – and automated whole breast ultrasound in women with dense tissue, we will be able to find more breast cancers. The cancers found by ABUS tend to be invasive or spreading tumors.”
Dense breast tissue is normal, seen in 40-50 percent of women and is a risk factor for breast cancer. Automated whole breast ultrasound can see through dense tissue and find small cancers that may not be seen on mammography because they are hidden by normal, dense breast tissue.
The Invenia ABUS 2.0 System is designed to enhance the consistency, reproducibility, and sensitivity of breast ultrasound, demonstrating a 35.7 percent improvement in cancer detection in women with dense breasts without prior breast intervention.
Baptist Health recommends women get an annual mammogram starting at age 40. If they have dense tissue, they should talk to their doctor or radiologist about their specific risk and any additional screening that might be appropriate. All mammography reports issued at Baptist Health indicate the patient’s breast tissue density and are available through the MyChart patient portal.