Elastography is a non-invasive imaging procedure similar to ultrasound that can distinguish between malignant tumors and normal body tissue. It has been used since the 1990s to detect cancerous tumors and can be done as an outpatient procedure in less than an hour. Elastography has the potential to diagnose other conditions and make biopsies and exploratory surgeries obsolete.
Elastography is an imaging procedure similar to ultrasound that helps doctors distinguish between malignant tumors and normal body tissue. It is a relatively new development in medicine and its full potential has yet to be developed. Since the 1990s, elastography has been used to detect the presence of cancerous tumors in breast tissue and other parts of the body. The test is typically administered by a radiologist or trained medical technician in a hospital or outpatient imaging center.
In almost all cases, malignant tumors are harder, or less elastic, than benign masses and other types of tissue in the body. Elastography is effective because it can clearly distinguish between elastic tissue and firm cancerous lumps. When image scans reveal darker, harder spots against a lighter, more flexible background, it’s most likely indicative of a tumor. Advances in ultrasound technology allow doctors to make confident diagnoses without the need for invasive tissue biopsies.
Two sets of images are taken to help doctors locate the cancer. The first is basically a standard ultrasound screen, during which high-intensity sound waves are sent through the body and transmitted back to the machine. After obtaining a baseline reading, a technician manually or mechanically compresses the suspicious area and rescans. By squeezing the fabric, the differences between elastic and non-elastic lumps become clear. The two sets of scans are compared to accurately identify the size and exact location of a cancerous lump.
Elastography procedures for breast cancer detection can usually be done as an outpatient procedure in less than an hour. The patient is usually asked to sit in a chair or lie down while bed scans are done with hand paddles. For the second test, a woman may need to sit or stand while a machine gently applies pressure to the top and bottom of the breast. The images can usually be viewed in real time on a computer monitor, although patients typically have to wait a few hours or days to hear the results to give radiologists time to carefully examine the images.
Doctors and medical researchers are excited about the future potential of elastography in diagnosing cancer and other conditions. Clinical trials show great promise in the test’s ability to reveal abnormalities in heart muscle, scarring in liver tissue, and damage or blockages in the kidneys. Elastography and other modern imaging techniques are very likely to make biopsies and dangerous exploratory surgeries obsolete.
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