Breast Cancer

Breast Ultrasound

On ultrasound, problem areas show up as dark spots. The almost perfectly round spot in this scan is a cyst.

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The dark area in this scan is cancer.

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Breast ultrasound is a diagnostic tool available through breast imaging services at Mayo Clinic. We use some of the most sophisticated ultrasound equipment available, and our physicians and radiology technologists are specially trained in this type of breast imaging. Breast ultrasound can help determine if a lump found during a breast exam or mammogram is a fluid-filled sac (cyst) or a solid tumor.

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of breast tissue and project it onto a computer screen. During the painless procedure, a small pad called a transducer, which sends and receives sound waves, is moved across the breast. The computer then analyzes the sound waves and creates an image of the breast tissue.