A SYSTEM that uses sound waves to “prod” suspect lumps deep within the body
could save millions of women from the trauma of a breast biopsy.
The hope is that the technique, under development at Duke University in
Durham, North Carolina, will use ultrasound waves to distinguish malignant
tumours from benign ones by measuring their elasticity.
Currently, suspect lumps are found using X-ray mammograms, ultrasound or
through physical examination—but these methods can only locate the growth.
The only way to be sure whether it’s malignant or not is to perform a
biopsy—surgically removing part of the lump. “In the…
