Study: Sonography Better Than Mammography for Younger Women

Sonography is a more accurate imaging test than mammography for detecting breast cancer in women aged 45 or younger, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

The results suggest that sonography may be an appropriate initial imaging test in investigating these women, according to study author Dr. Nehmat Houssami, of the University of Sydney's School of Public Health.

Houssami and other Australian researchers used sonography and mammography to examine 480 women between the ages of 25 and 55.

Sonography correctly identified 84.9 percent of breast cancers in women 45 years and younger with breast cancer symptoms, while mammography correctly identified 71.7 percent of breast cancers in this group. Both mammography and sonography accurately identify 79.1 percent of breast cancers in women 46 to 55 years old.

Houssami said women 45 years and younger who believe they may have breast cancer or who have a lump or swelling should have sonography as the main imaging test. Those older than 45 years should have mammography as their main imaging test, she added.

Current recommendations and standards suggest age 35 as the threshold to decide which test to use as the primary imaging for women with symptoms of breast cancer.

Other sources: American Roentgen Ray Society