Is It a Cyst or a Tumor? Understanding Your Ultrasound Results

While mammograms are still the gold-standard for detecting breast cancer tumors, if you have dense breasts, a regular mammogram may not be sufficient. Your doctor may order a 3-D mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram (if the first one was unclear), or an automated whole-breast ultrasound (ABUS). 

Unlike mammograms, which use very low levels of radiation to detect abnormalities, an ABUS only uses sound waves. A transducer bounces sound off your breast tissue. The sound waves are then transmitted to a monitor, creating a series of multiplanar 3-D images that let us view “slices” of your breast at every level.

An ABUS can be very helpful in detecting cancers in dense breasts that mammograms miss. In fact, they’re 30% better than a mammogram alone in dense breasts. Dense breasts are more likely to develop cancer than are fatty breasts.

At Mass Medical Imaging, Joseph Calandra, MD, and Karen Mass, MD, may order an ABUS for you if you have dense breasts, especially if there are unclear areas on your mammograms. We administer all imaging tests at our Lake Forest offices.

When your doctor reports that an ABUS detected an abnormality, is it a benign cyst or a tumor? Here’s what to know about your results.

A cyst is almost always benign

If your doctor tells you that your ABUS found a cyst or multiple cysts, you can relax. While a cyst is an abnormal growth, it’s almost always benign (i.e., non-malignant, non-cancerous).

A cyst is filled with fluid. You can think of it as a little water balloon. You may get cysts in your breasts when a gland is blocked, so that fluid backs up. Your body then builds a little sac around the excess fluid.

When you have a multitude of cysts in your breasts, you may have fibrocystic breasts. Although it may sound concerning, it’s not a dangerous condition and is quite common.

With fibrocystic breasts, you may notice that your breasts feel lumpy or ropy. You may also notice that they get tender or sore before your period.

We encourage you to examine and palpate your breasts at least monthly. Get used to the feel of your cystic breasts so you can alert us to any changes that may need investigation.

A tumor can be benign or cancerous

If the technician found a tumor rather than a cyst, that still doesn’t mean you have cancer. Tumors — unlike a squishy, fluid-filled cyst — are hard clumps of cells. Some tumors are benign.

An advantage of ABUS is that it allows us to more easily differentiate between benign and cancerous tumors. Nevertheless, if the lesion looks suspicious, we take a biopsy to be sure that it’s not cancer, or to diagnose it if it is.

You don’t have to worry or decide

When you get your ABUS results, we explain them to you, just as we explain the results of your mammogram. If you have a cyst or multiple cysts, we probably won’t advise further action. Just come for your regular mammogram and ABUS next year.

If you have a tumor, you may need to undergo a biopsy and further tests. If we do determine that you have breast cancer, we then inform you, explain your options, and decide on a treatment plan.

An ABUS increases your chances of early detection of breast cancer, which in turn increases your chances of survival or even a cure. However, it’s important to remember that although ABUS is a good adjunct to a mammogram, it can’t replace one. 

Make sure your dense breasts are thoroughly evaluated by requesting an ABUS today. Schedule a dense-breast examination or a mammogram and ABUS by phoning our friendly staff at 847-235-2415 or booking with our online appointment form.