3D breast ultrasound

If a mammogram shows you have dense breast tissue, your doctor may recommend adding 3D automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) to your annual breast cancer screening. ABUS can show tumors that a mammogram may miss. With breast ultrasound, you’ll get a clearer picture of your breast health from your exam at Carol Hatton Breast Care Center, a service of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

Accredited in breast ultrasound

You can trust that you’ll receive care from qualified staff who follow the right procedures to keep you safe and deliver accurate results. That’s because we’re accredited in breast ultrasound by the American College of Radiology.

What is dense breast tissue?

Dense breasts have little fat. Many women have them, but they’re more common in people with a low body mass index (BMI) and older women. If a mammogram shows you have “extremely dense breast tissue,” you have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Getting regular screenings can help you and your doctor detect signs of cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat.

What to expect

ABUS lasts about 20 minutes and may be scheduled for the same appointment as your annual mammogram. You’ll lie on a table as a female technician applies a warm lotion to your breasts and then positions a paddle on top of them. Inside the paddle is a transducer, which moves back and forth while sending out gentle sound waves to create pictures of your breast tissue.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time, tell your technician. She may be able to adjust the paddle or help you change your position to relieve pressure.

Your ABUS results

Your test results will appear in MyChart within 72 hours, sometimes as early as the next day. If you don’t yet have a patient portal account, you’ll get a letter with instructions on how to set one up within a week or so.