Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Frost & Sullivan identifies key benefits of breast ultrasound solutions

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

Frost & Sullivan supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month and research with its latest analysis, Global Breast Ultrasound Market, Forecast to 2023. Mammography is widely used for breast cancer screening; ultrasound is used as a supplemental screening for patients at high risk and for those who have conspicuous findings in a mammogram.

The market for conventional handheld ultrasound has performed well as a supplemental imaging in most countries and primary diagnostic/screening tool in others. As of 2018, Frost & Sullivan estimates that among all medical imaging equipment, the breast ultrasound segment has reached 85% market penetration in the United States, 50%-60% in Western Europe and Japan, and between 20%-30% in the Rest of World.

The global market for breast ultrasound systems is expected to grow from $1.11 billion in 2018 to $1.71 billion by 2023. This expansion is largely driven by the use of novel techniques, machine learning, and deep-learning algorithms to deliver high-quality imaging and digital capabilities such as cloud and data analytics..

“While population-based screening using mammography has contributed to improvements in survival and decreased mortality, concerns remain about radiation safety, over-diagnosis, pain caused by breast compression, anxiety due to false positives, and inaccurate interpretation in dense breast tissues,” said Poornima Srinivasan, Industry Analyst, Transformational Health. “Dense breast tissue is found in 30% to 35% of the female population eligible for screening. In this context, quantitative imaging using automated breast ultrasound and 3D acquisition is instrumental for radiologists in order to analyze, interpret, and quantify images to best treat patients.”

How ultrasound technology facilitates cancer detection:

·   Developed economies are using ultrasound systems as supplemental imaging for breast cancer detection as an adjunct to mammography.

·   For women with dense breast tissue, ultrasound helps in the detection of small, node-negative scanners when compared to mammography.

·   Automated breast ultrasound is an imaging technology that takes 3D images of the whole breast using a 15 mm transducer. It is operated by a motor with positioning assistance from a technologist. It finds increased use in the United States and is picking up pace in China.