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ABUS

ABUS services offered in Lake Forest and Grayslake, IL

Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) uses cutting-edge technology to provide more accurate breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts. At Women’s Specialty Care SC, with offices in Grayslake and Lake Forest, Illinois, the patient-friendly team of women’s health experts led by Karen Mass, MD, FACOG, and Leslie Rubeck, CNM, offers advanced mammography and ABUS in their state-of-the-art imaging center. Click the online scheduler or call the office nearest to you to make an appointment today.

ABUS Q & A

What is ABUS?

Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) is a test that uses sound waves to produce images of your breasts. Together, 3D mammography and ABUS can produce a comprehensive view of your breast tissue, allowing for the best accuracy in women who need more in-depth breast cancer screening due to having dense breasts. 

 

What are dense breasts?

Your breasts have glandular, connective, and fatty tissues. When you have more glandular and connective tissues than fatty tissues, you have dense breasts. Nearly 50% of women over 40 have dense breasts today. 

Breast size and density aren’t related, and dense breasts don’t feel or look different than nondense breasts. So, you’ll only know if you have dense breasts through a mammogram. Women’s Specialty Care SC uses the newest technology in mammography: a 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system called the Senographe Pristina™ with Dueta™.

This state-of-the-art system allows you to help control breast compression during your exam, making it a more comfortable experience. Most women say that this approach helps them to feel more in control of the mammogram, which greatly reduces their anxiety and stress regarding the procedure. 

 

Why do dense breasts require ABUS?

Dense breasts are harder to view during mammograms. The composition of the breasts can sometimes hide atypical areas, while those areas are easier to see in breasts that have a high proportion of fatty tissue. 

Women with dense breasts also have a higher risk of breast cancer. And, women with dense breasts are more likely to develop interval breast cancer cancer diagnosed within a year of a normal mammogram.

So, if a mammogram shows that you have dense breasts, the Women’s Specialty Care SC team commonly uses ABUS imaging to get a better look at your breast tissue. 

 

How often do I need ABUS?

If you have dense breasts, the Women’s Specialty Care SC team recommends annual mammograms and ABUS exams. Most insurance plans cover this type of care because it allows for earlier diagnosis and treatment of problems such as breast cancer.

If you’re due for a mammogram, you might also need ABUS. To find out how you can detect and prevent breast cancer early, call the Women's Specialty Care SC office nearest to you or click on the online scheduling tool now.