How to choose ultrasound + mammography MRI for breast cancer screening? Ultrasound + mammography – the “cornerstone” of breast cancer screening Because ultrasound and mammography both have the outstanding advantages of convenience, simplicity and low cost, women who have suspected symptoms of breast cancer will undergo these two tests. They are also known as the “cornerstones” of breast cancer screening. Ultrasound is good at detecting small solid lumps and nodules. 1, it is suitable for detecting small lumps and nodules, and has good ability to distinguish cystic and solid lumps and to distinguish the internal conditions of lumps. It can detect only large and coarse calcifications, but has low recognition of small malignant calcified foci; 3. Although convenient and rapid, the reproducibility of the results is low and the diagnosis is highly subjective. Mammography is good at detecting early malignant lesions manifesting as foci of calcification 1. It is good for examining glands that are relatively lax and fat-based, and can clearly present the internal structure of glands, suitable for women over 40 years old. 2.It can present the small and medium-sized calcification points of the gland, which is more helpful to detect early breast cancer. Calcification points are important signs of early breast cancer. 3.The examination result is repeatable and the image can be observed at any time after the film is taken. As long as the operation is standardized and the equipment is intact, even the films from lower level hospitals have high reference value. In actual clinical use, the two examination methods are often used in combination. Although “ultrasound + mammography” can meet the needs of most patients for breast cancer screening, in special cases, when the results of both tests are ambiguous, or when the results of both tests are contradictory, a more accurate test is needed to determine the outcome, and this test is MRI. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the “ultimate weapon” for breast cancer screening. MRI is an imaging technique that takes into account both anatomy and function, and the signal of malignant areas will be significantly enhanced. Because of its high accuracy, it provides a strong diagnostic basis for determining the benignity and malignancy of a patient’s lesion. However, this examination method also has shortcomings: 1. High cost. Clinically, the price of a general ultrasound examination is as little as 60 RMB, and a mammography examination usually does not exceed 200 RMB, but the cost of an MRI examination generally ranges from 800 to 1000 RMB, and often requires more than 3 days of appointment time. 2. Too sensitive. This leads to some benign lesions being detected by MRI as suspicious malignant lesions, raising the chances of surgery for patients. For patients with breast disease, physical examination can be used as the fundamental, ultrasound and mammography as the cornerstone to support the early diagnosis system of breast cancer, and finally supplemented by MRI to obtain the final judgment.