9 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect from Your Ultrasound Scan
December 12, 2024
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A breast ultrasound is an extra imaging exam doctors recommend in some cases to assess internal breast health. You might be referred for this non-invasive scan to provide more information after a mammogram or physical exam.
After you have a breast ultrasound, the clinic will send your images and report to your referring physician, who will discuss them with you. That follow-up process can take several days, sometimes even longer than a week. If you want faster access to your results, PocketHealth can help. With PocketHealth, you can get secure early access to your medical images and reports, often as soon as they’re released.
A breast ultrasound uses sound waves to create and capture live images of the inside of your breast. Safe and non-invasive, a breast ultrasound provides doctors with a different perspective and view of your internal breast tissues and structures.
Doctors use breast ultrasounds to gain more clarity and information about your breast health and to further examine any abnormalities found in a physical breast exam or screening mammogram.
You might be referred for a breast ultrasound:
A breast ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to capture images of your internal breast tissue, while a mammogram uses low-dose X-rays.
Mammograms are an effective method to detect cancer in the earliest stages, which improves both treatment and recovery. If a mammogram is unclear, or shows an abnormality, a breast ultrasound is often used to provide more information.
The two imaging tests are not competing, but complementary. A mammogram excels at finding anomalies and detecting signs of cancer early, which is critical to positive health outcomes, while a breast ultrasound provides insight into the nature of any abnormal findings.
A mammogram examines your entire breast and provides a record of any changes in breast tissue over time. However, a breast ultrasound can provide more details about a specific area of your breast and distinguish whether a lump is a fluid-filled cyst or a solid mass.
Being referred for a breast ultrasound scan after a mammogram is a fairly common occurrence. It does not automatically mean something is wrong. An ultrasound scan gives your health care team better visibility into any areas that were previously unclear.
During your breast ultrasound, you’ll undress from the waist up and lie on an exam table in the scanning room. The sonographer will help arrange you into the best position, usually with your arms raised above your head. You may be asked to shift positions during the scan.
The ultrasound technician will apply a conductive gel to your skin, which helps transmit the high-frequency sound waves into your breast tissue. The technician then glides the transducer over the gel, holding it in different spots and angles to capture the best images. They will be examining a specific area, not your entire breast.
You will feel some pressure from the transducer, but the procedure should not be painful. A breast ultrasound usually takes about 30 minutes. Afterwards, you can wipe off the water-based gel and go about your day as normal.
Very little preparation is needed for a breast ultrasound. When you book your appointment, check with the imaging clinic for any special instructions.
What to do:
What not to do:
Many women report having sensitive breasts before the start of their menstrual cycle. If that describes you, the most opportune time to schedule a breast ultrasound is when your breasts are less sensitive and tender, usually the week after a menstrual period.
The ultrasound technician is not legally allowed to discuss the results of your scan with you. They will send your images to a radiologist for interpretation, who will forward them and a detailed report to your referring physician.
Your doctor will set up a follow-up appointment to discuss your results once they’ve received them. The process can take just a few days or more than a week, depending on your location and how busy the imaging clinic is.
The radiologist will interpret the results, and send them to your doctor who has a better understanding of your particular health needs and situation. Your doctor will discuss the results with you at a follow-up appointment.
MyCare Navigator provides you with list a personalized list of questions you can use to steer your discussion, such as:
A breast ultrasound uses the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to report your results. BI-RADS assigns categories to each finding, from 0-6. The lower the category number, the lower the probability the finding is cancerous.
For more information, we have a page about how to read your mammogram results, which includes a complete explanation of each BI-RADS score. We also have a page to help you read and understand an ultrasound image.
If you have PocketHealth, help is always close to hand. Report Reader provides easy-to-understand definitions for medical terms in your report.
An abnormal breast ultrasound
Abnormalities can have many different appearances, depending on the underlying cause. A lesion might be a calcification, a cyst, a mass or even an infection, each of which looks slightly different on an ultrasound.
A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. On a breast ultrasound it will look like a round black shape with thin walls.
An ultrasound is not a screening test for cancer, but it can distinguish between a fluid-filled cyst (unlikely to be cancer) and a solid mass (higher possibility of being cancerous). A breast ultrasound can eliminate or indicate the need for further testing.
A mass is solid, while a cyst is filled with air or liquid. Cysts appear darker on ultrasound images and have rounded shapes. Solid masses are often lighter in color, with an irregular outline.
PocketHealth’s breast health tools provide patients with personalized breast cancer risk assessments and simplified mammogram management. Designed to increase early detection of breast cancer, these tools enable patients to take control of their breast health. Learn more about PocketHealth’s breast health tools here.
Aileen used PocketHealth to stay on top of her breast ultrasound imaging when her breast cancer was deemed metastatic. “It’s been so helpful to monitor my progress. I can see the improvements: it’s a relief to see that for myself.” You can read more about Aileen’s breast health journey here.
My Care Navigator highlights any follow-up recommendations in your breast ultrasound report and provides you with tailored questions for your discussion with your doctor. When you understand your breast health, you can confidently advocate for your needs with your health care team.
