Breast Ultrasound2023-07-20T09:23:09-07:00

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Breast Cancer Screening

Recommendations & Information

Who is a good candidate for automated whole breast ultrasound?2023-07-18T08:51:56-07:00

Whole breast ultrasound can be used as an adjunct to regular mammograms on any woman to gain a clearer picture of her breast tissue, but the technology was specifically designed for women with dense breast tissue or breast implants. For these women, obtaining clear, accurate, detailed images of breast tissue with a mammogram alone has been difficult. That’s because the implants or dense tissue are more difficult to penetrate with traditional mammogram technology. SonoCine was developed to painlessly visualize breast tissue regardless of density or implants, producing clear, accurate, detailed images so women can feel confident about their diagnoses.

What age should I start breast cancer screening exams?2023-06-30T08:54:02-07:00

New American College of Radiology® (ACR®) breast cancer screening guidelines now call for all women, particularly Black and Ashkenazi Jewish women, to have risk assessment by age 25 to determine if screening earlier than age 40 is needed. The ACR continues to recommend annual screening starting at age 40 for women of average risk, but earlier and more intensive screening for high-risk patients.

What is breast density?2023-06-30T09:07:21-07:00

Breast density is a measure used to describe the proportion of different tissues that make up your breasts. Breast density is not a measure of how your breasts look or feel, but rather how they appear on a mammogram.

Who should consider getting a SonoCine exam?2023-07-07T15:04:41-07:00

  • Women with dense breast tissue
  • Women with family history of breast cancer
  • Women with breast implants
  • Women who want their entire breast scanned
Do I still need a mammogram?2023-07-18T08:56:40-07:00

Yes. SonoCine AWBUS is an adjunct to mammography for women whose mammograms may be inconclusive due to dense breast tissue and/or implants. Ultrasound and mammography show specific areas of interest differently, and are therefore both important.

What happens if a mammogram or SonoCine reveals a lesion in my breast tissue?2023-07-07T15:05:20-07:00

In some cases, benign (non-cancerous) lumps and nodules may be diagnosed from visual characteristics. Ultrasound is an excellent diagnostic tool that may prevent an unnecessary biopsy. But in other cases, you may need a biopsy to determine if the lesion is cancerous. Biopsies can also determine the type of breast cancer that’s present and how aggressive it may be. Depending on the results of the biopsy, you may also be advised to have biopsies of lymph nodes to determine if the cancer may have spread.

Breast Cancer Screening

Recommendations & Information

Who is a good candidate for automated whole breast ultrasound?2023-07-18T08:51:56-07:00

Whole breast ultrasound can be used as an adjunct to regular mammograms on any woman to gain a clearer picture of her breast tissue, but the technology was specifically designed for women with dense breast tissue or breast implants. For these women, obtaining clear, accurate, detailed images of breast tissue with a mammogram alone has been difficult. That’s because the implants or dense tissue are more difficult to penetrate with traditional mammogram technology. SonoCine was developed to painlessly visualize breast tissue regardless of density or implants, producing clear, accurate, detailed images so women can feel confident about their diagnoses.

What age should I start breast cancer screening exams?2023-06-30T08:54:02-07:00

New American College of Radiology® (ACR®) breast cancer screening guidelines now call for all women, particularly Black and Ashkenazi Jewish women, to have risk assessment by age 25 to determine if screening earlier than age 40 is needed. The ACR continues to recommend annual screening starting at age 40 for women of average risk, but earlier and more intensive screening for high-risk patients.

What is breast density?2023-06-30T09:07:21-07:00

Breast density is a measure used to describe the proportion of different tissues that make up your breasts. Breast density is not a measure of how your breasts look or feel, but rather how they appear on a mammogram.

Who should consider getting a SonoCine exam?2023-07-07T15:04:41-07:00

  • Women with dense breast tissue
  • Women with family history of breast cancer
  • Women with breast implants
  • Women who want their entire breast scanned
Do I still need a mammogram?2023-07-18T08:56:40-07:00

Yes. SonoCine AWBUS is an adjunct to mammography for women whose mammograms may be inconclusive due to dense breast tissue and/or implants. Ultrasound and mammography show specific areas of interest differently, and are therefore both important.

What happens if a mammogram or SonoCine reveals a lesion in my breast tissue?2023-07-07T15:05:20-07:00

In some cases, benign (non-cancerous) lumps and nodules may be diagnosed from visual characteristics. Ultrasound is an excellent diagnostic tool that may prevent an unnecessary biopsy. But in other cases, you may need a biopsy to determine if the lesion is cancerous. Biopsies can also determine the type of breast cancer that’s present and how aggressive it may be. Depending on the results of the biopsy, you may also be advised to have biopsies of lymph nodes to determine if the cancer may have spread.

Headshot of Dr. Kelly
Dr. Kelly

The Inventor of SonoCine AWBUS

Dr. Kevin Kelly, a breast radiologist and the former medical director of Breast Ultrasound Center, is one of the world’s leading authorities on the use of ultrasound to detect small, easily curable breast cancer in women with dense-breast tissue and/or implants. In 1998, Dr. Kelly invented the technology, SonoCine AWBUS (Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound), and in 2000, using this modality, he found his first mammographically occult cancers. In 2008 SonoCine AWBUS received FDA clearance. For 30 years, Dr. Kelly has been conducting clinical research on the discovery and diagnosis of breast cancer by ultrasound and has published and lectured extensively. His first publication in this field was a 1996 monograph, “Sonographic Evaluation of Benign and Malignant Breast Lesions.”

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Featuring Dr. Kelly

Watch this TedTalk to learn more about Dr. Kelly’s research and methods for early breast cancer detection using the SonoCine technology. If you want to dive further into his research, you can also read his research paper.

Read Research Paper

What to Expect

At Your Next Ultrasound Exam

Who performs the actual exam?2023-06-30T09:02:42-07:00

One of our trained ultrasound technologists will guide you through the process and will perform the exam. Click here to learn more about our team.

How long does the exam take?2023-06-30T09:06:28-07:00

Plan on being in the exam room for approximately 30 minutes. The examination itself is quick, but time is needed for preparation and removal of the camisole and ultrasound gel at completion of examination.

Where can I get a scan?2023-06-30T09:07:51-07:00

Our office is located on 960 E Green Street. #166, Pasadena CA 91106.

What happens after the evaluation is completed?2023-06-30T09:08:44-07:00

Your results can be shared electronically with your primary care provider and you’ll have an ongoing record of your breast health. You must follow up with your primary provider for further recommendations.

What is the SonoCine procedure like?2023-07-18T09:01:38-07:00

Dr. Kelly developed the SonoCine approach to be painless and stress-free. If you’ve ever had an ultrasound, you have a good idea of what to expect during a SonoCine breast cancer screening. A special camisole is worn and the transducer is connected to an automated arm that gently moves across the surface of the breast. The device emits painless sound waves that “bounce off” breast tissue to create images that are recorded and compressed into a “movie” of the breast tissue that is watched by a radiologist, not a technologist. The procedure takes about a half hour or less.

Is there compression or does it hurt?2023-07-18T08:57:43-07:00

You will feel a light pressure as the technologist passes the transducer over your breasts. This is a painless procedure.

  • SonoCine is safe, using only simple sound waves
  • SonoCine is comfortable – No compression
  • No injections
  • No radiation

The Exam Process

SonoCine AWBUS provides a consistent, repeatable scan of the whole breast including the axilla (underarm/lymph nodes). Clinical studies show that adding SonoCine to a yearly mammogram can improve cancer detection results. The SonoCine Method has three steps:

Step 1: Patient Preparation

SonoCine has developed a proprietary camisole that fits like a sports bra, which holds the breasts in place and provides a sense of modesty.

Step 2: Patient Exam

Similar to a hand-held ultrasound, the patient lies on their back as scan rows are captured sequentially from below the collar bone to the lower margin of the breast. This process, including preparation, exam, and room turnover, takes under 30 minutes and can be scheduled accordingly.

Step 3: Exam Results

The SonoCine exam is recorded as a video and read by the radiologist who can then give their entire attention in a distraction-free environment. This method of review has been shown to increase the detection of cancers as small as 5mm – 10mm in size.

Your exam report will then be sent to you via a secure HIPAA-compliant email as well as faxed to your primary care physician (if you’ve consented SCMG to share your results with your primary care physician) who can review your results with you. Exam results are typically available 24-48 hrs. after the exam appointment.

SonoCine Technology

Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBUS™)

What is SonoCine AWBUS™?

The SonoCine Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (SonoCine AWBUS™) is a computer-guided ultrasound system designed to be used in addition to your traditional mammogram. It was designed to provide greater visual detail of breast tissue, especially for women with dense breast tissue or implants where mammograms may have difficulty providing clear, detailed images.

The SonoCine AWBUS™ examination is FDA cleared for all dense-breasted women, women with implants and women who have had any type of breast intervention such as a biopsy, lumpectomy, mastectomy. Unlike other ultrasound examinations, this exam provides whole breast coverage, which includes your underarm, clavicle, in-between your breasts,the sides of your breasts and all the way back to your chest wall.

How accurate is SonoCine AWBUS™?

In clinical trials, SonoCine AWBUS™ technology was 300% more accurate than mammography at detecting small (1cm or less) invasive cancers. Women with dense breast tissue or implants benefit most from SonoCine because it is difficult to produce clear images using standard mammography and imaging techniques.

Dr. Kelly was one of the first radiologists in Southern California to use ultrasound as a detection and diagnostic tool for breast cancer, working tirelessly to develop the technology, creating the SonoCine AWBUS™ for accurate screening of women with dense tissue or breast implants. SonoCine AWBUS™ was developed to detect the lesions that are most frequently missed with mammography, including small, invasive breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue or implants.

What to expect for SonoCine AWBUS™ procedure?

SonoCine AWBUS™ uses ultrasound, which is just sound waves that you can’t hear. Ultrasound is safe for an unborn baby and therefore, safe for your breasts. Perhaps the most important difference between the SonoCine AWBUS™ exam and others is that the images acquired are reviewed in the form of a movie instead of still pictures. Unlike mammography where cancer appears white on white dense-breast tissue, ultrasound shows cancer as dark spots that seem to pop out on the screen making it much easier for your radiologist to see.

When the exam is completed, the SonoCine AWBUS™ technology will have captured between 2,000 and 5,000 images to form an ultrasound movie, or Sono (sound)…Cine (movie), for the Radiologist to review. Unlike others, the SonoCine AWBUS™ is designed to provide you with a fully documented, quality controlled examination of all your breast tissue. This way your primary care physician can compare last year’s to this year’s exam, to see what changes may have occurred.

The Benefits of SonoCine

Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound

Early detection is a critical aspect of effectively managing breast cancer, as it allows for timely intervention and improves the chances of successful treatment. SonoCine Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBUS) is an advanced imaging technology that offers numerous benefits in the early detection of breast cancer, such as:

1

Increased Sensitivity

SonoCine AWBUS complements traditional mammography by providing an additional imaging modality that is highly sensitive to breast abnormalities. It can detect small lesions that may not be visible on mammograms, especially in women with dense breast tissue. By enhancing sensitivity, SonoCine AWBUS helps identify potential cancerous lesions at an earlier stage, when they are smaller and easier to treat.

2

No Radiation

Unlike mammography, which uses X-rays, SonoCine AWBUS does not involve any ionizing radiation. This is particularly beneficial for women who may be concerned about the potential risks associated with repeated exposure to radiation. SonoCine AWBUS utilizes ultrasound waves to create detailed images of breast tissue, making it a safe imaging option that can be repeated as often as necessary without radiation-related concerns.

3

Enhanced Image Clarity

SonoCine AWBUS produces high-resolution images of the entire breast, providing a comprehensive view of the breast tissue. This level of detail helps radiologists detect and analyze abnormalities more accurately. The technology employs an automated scanning process, ensuring consistent image quality and minimizing the chance of human error during the examination.

4

Improved Detection in Dense Breast Tissue

Breast density refers to the proportion of glandular and fibrous tissue compared to fatty tissue in the breast. Dense breast tissue can make it more challenging to detect abnormalities using mammography alone. SonoCine AWBUS is especially advantageous in such cases, as it is not affected by breast density. By offering a clear view of the breast tissue, it assists in identifying potential cancers that may be obscured by dense breast tissue on mammograms.

5

Increased Patient Comfort

SonoCine AWBUS is a non-invasive imaging technique that is generally more comfortable for patients compared to other procedures. The process involves the application of gel on the breast, followed by the use of a handheld transducer that gently glides over the skin. The absence of compression, which is a characteristic of mammography, eliminates the discomfort associated with breast compression during the examination.

6

Screening for High-Risk Women

For women at high risk of developing breast cancer, such as those with a family history or certain genetic mutations, SonoCine AWBUS can be an invaluable screening tool. It offers a supplementary method of early detection that enhances the chances of detecting cancerous lesions at an early stage in high-risk individuals.

Pricing & Insurance

We Keep Everything Transparent

Is there insurance reimbursement?2023-06-30T09:04:42-07:00

Reimbursement will vary depending on the insurance carrier using CPT Code 76641 (ultrasound, breast, unilateral to include axilla when performed, complete) and charged for each breast. Visit SonoCine’s Reimbursement page to learn more.

How much does it cost for a SonoCine scan?2023-07-07T15:04:28-07:00

The cost of the examination is $450.

Is the exam covered by insurance?2023-06-30T09:12:47-07:00

Insurance coverage depends on the individual’s insurance provider and coverage. We currently do not accept insurance, but can provide a superbill which can be used to file a claim with your insurance provider.

SonoCine Breast Ultrasound Price

$450

Schedule Your Ultrasound Imaging Appointment Today

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