Staging of Breast Cancer with Ultrasound

The prognosis of women with breast cancer depends on tumor size and regional lymph node status. Clinical assessment combined with imaging is important in the staging of primary breast cancer, particularly in a multidisciplinary setting where radiologists, pathologists, medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists work together to optimize patient care. Delineation of loco-regional (multifocal vs multicentric) disease is critical in surgical planning to enable a curative procedure with clear margins and good cosmetic outcome. Regional (ipsilateral axillary, infraclavicular, internal mammary, and supraclavicular) nodal information helps determine patient eligibility for neoadjuvant protocols and also aids in radiation planning. The role of high-resolution ultrasound in staging breast cancer is discussed in conjunction with mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging.