What is Breast elastography?
Breast Elastography is a new technology that measures mechanical stiffness of the breast tissues. It is very useful for differentiation of benign (non cancer) and malignant (cancer) lumps in breast.
Is it a type of ultrasound?
Yes, it is a new generation of ultrasound. Elastography represents the most important development in ultrasound technology since the introduction of Doppler Imaging.
What is the benefit of Breast Elastography?
Breast elastography helps in early diagnosis of breast lesions.
- Breast Elastography can help determine whether a mass is benign or malignant.
- Breast Elastography provides further insight into potential pathology by detection of very small malignant lesions in breast.
- Provides a high resolution elastogram depicting relative tissue stiffness.
- The number of unnecessary procedures like biopsy and FNAC will drop ultimately benefiting the patients when tumor belongs in a “Just watch it” Category.
- Depicts the extent of breast cancer accurately and thereby helps in accurate surgical planning.
Why I should go for Breast Elastography?
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women.
- On a global scale, every tenth woman is affected, and unfortunately, numbers continue to rise.
- For approximately one in 80 patients, the cancer proves to be fatal because it was not detected early enough.
- Even though it’s uncommon, men can also get breast cancer so they need to be breast aware too.
- Breast cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in India, the first being cervical cancer.
- One in 22 women in India suffers from breast cancer during her lifetime and the risk of breast cancer increases with age.
- Whatever your age, size or shape it’s important to take care of your breasts.
- The outlook is very good if breast cancer is detected early, regard- less of age.
- When cancers are detected at early stages, the woman has more treatment options and cure is more likely and less expensive.
- In the majority of cases, the tumor can be simply removed and the breast can be spared.
- Breast Elastography is safe, highly accurate and also the most important tool a physician has, to diagnose, evaluate and follow up breast cancer.
- Breast Elastography helps to avoid unnecessary painful and risky biopsies.
Please remember, this is just a preventive measure. Opting for breast elastography does not mean that you have a cancer.
What is Breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of the breast cells; it appears in the form of tumor in/around breast area.
How likely is it for one to get breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women. Every woman has the chance of getting breast cancer. It is thus critical that one should be informed to take control of this disease. Remember, early detection and treatment provides best outcome, so don’t let fear stop you from seeing a physician.
Who should go for Breast Elastography?
All Females with high risk of developing breast cancer and with dense breast or with breast lumps should go for breast elastography.
Who is at risk?
Women in the following categories are at increased risk of developing breast cancer:
- A family history of breast cancer.
- Early puberty.
- Late menopause.
- Child bearing after the age of 30 years.
- Women who have never given birth.
- Exposure to radiation.
- High fat diet.
- Those on Hormone replacement therapy.
- Obese women (especially after menopause).
- High alcohol intake etc.
Is there any side effect of Breast Elastography?
Breast Elastography is absolutely
- Safe
- Painless
- Accurate
- Non-invasive examination
Like conventional ultrasound Breast Elastography is a very safe test. It is advanced tool to diagnose, evaluate and follow up of breast cancer. As a result unnecessary painful and risky biopsies can be avoided.
Liver Elastography (ARFI)
What is Liver Elastography (ARFI)?
Liver Elastography is a new technology that measures stiffness of the Liver tissues. It is also known as Tissue Strain Analysis or Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging etc.
These two applications are available only in ACUSON S 2000 system from Siemens.
Is it a type of ultrasound?
Yes, it is a new generation of ultrasound. Elastography represents the most important development in ultrasound technology since the introduction of Doppler Imaging.
What is the benefit of Liver Elastography (ARFI)?
- Detection – Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps in detection of the focal lesions in liver like Cysts, Abscess, Hemangiomas, Hepatoma, Solitary Metastasis etc.
- Quantification Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps to quantify extent of tissue damage e.g. extent of fibrosis in alcoholics and HBV patients.
Why I should go for Liver Elastography?
- Most of the chronic liver diseases lead to change in Liver stiffness (elasticity), depending on the stiffness medically it is called as fatty liver, fibrous liver and cirrhotic liver.
- In this fatty liver and early stage of fibrosis is reversible while late fibrosis and cirrhotic stage is irreversible.
- In people suffering from chronic liver disease fibrosis staging is the key factor in determining liver health.
- Staging is currently done by a single core needle biopsy; it is not well tolerated and has its own limitations.
- In liver disease if no intervention is done timely, disease will culminate in a condition called ‘cirrhosis’ an irreversible damage to liver tissue.
- Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps to stage the early changes of fibrosis which will guide further treatment and appropriate measures to halt or reverse the condition.
- Liver Elastography (ARFI) also helps in prevention of Liver diseases by successfully imaging even the chronic diseases in “Latent period”.
Please remember, this is just a preventive measure. Opting for Liver Elastography (ARFI) does not mean that you have a cancer.
Liver Elastography (ARFI) is safe, highly accurate and also the most important tool a physician has, to diagnose, evaluate and follow up liver condition. As a result unnecessary painful and risky biopsies can be avoided.
Who should go for Liver Elastography(ARFI)?
Any individual associated with any one or more risk factors from the list below, should go for Liver Elastography (ARFI)
- Alcoholic
- Alcoholic Liver Diseases
- Non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis (NASH)
- Viral Hepatitis
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- HIV/HBV Co-infection
- Biliary Fibrosis and related chronic cholestatic disease
- If you have first-degree relatives affected with Liver Cancer
- Post treatment follow-up in reversible liver diseases
Importance of Liver Elastography (ARFI) for Chronic Alcoholics
People with habit of regular alcohol consumption are called as chronic alcoholics. In chronic alcoholics, the liver may be damaged and progress to a stage called “Irreversible fibrosis”.
The fibrotic stage of liver is reversible. Fibrotic stage can be prevented if detected early in the course disease through proper treatment and change in lifestyle. If no intervention is done timely, disease will culminate in a condition called “Cirrhosis” an irreversible damage to liver tissue.
Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps in knowing the status of liver in a chronic alcoholic particularly in symptomatic conditions like
- Itching,
- Jaundice,
- Nausea or
- Vomiting,
- Loss of appetite,
- Clay colored stool,
- Ascites (protruding abdomen filled with fluid).
Accurate imaging services help your physician through Liver Elastography (ARFI) in better patient management and treatment.
Is there any side effect of Liver Elastography (ARFI)?
Liver Elastography (ARFI) is absolutely
- Safe
- Painless
- Accurate
- Non-invasive examination
Like conventional ultrasound Liver Elastography (ARFI) is a very safe test. It uses the ultrasound principle of pulse detection and with mould of technology this information is converted into an electoral image.
Procedure and Preparation details:
No special preparation required for Liver Elastography (ARFI) and you should come for examination at centre with empty stomach fasting at least 6 hours.
Liver Facts
- The liver is the largest internal and most metabolically complex organ in humans.
- The liver performs over 500 different functions including fighting off infection, neutralizing toxins, manufacturing proteins and hormones, controlling blood sugar and helping to clot the blood.
- The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself thus making it possible for one person to donate part of their liver to another person. When a portion of the liver is transplanted, the donor’s liver will regenerate back to its original size while the transplanted portion will grow to the appropriate size for the recipient.
- At any one time, the liver contains about 10% of the blood in your body and it pumps about 1.4 litres per minute.
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