KOTA BHARU, Oct 19 — Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) is the first public hospital in the country to offer a 3D Ultrasound or Volumetric Breast Ultrasound (VBS) machine for breast cancer diagnosis.
USM Hospital director Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Sukari Halim said VBS is the state of the art technology in carrying out diagnosis for breast cancer, a disease which is showing an increase in cases over the years.
“VBS is a solution to the problem of dense breast gland among Asian women and research shows that mammography with VBS is more effective in detecting cancer than mammography with 2D Ultrasound,” he said when contacted by Bernama, here.
Ahmad Sukari said besides the VBS machine, the Women’s Imaging Suite (WISH) at the hospital’s Radiology Department also offers various latest breast imaging facilities for breast cancer diagnosis.
He said the equipment included mammography machine with 3D technology or wide angle tomosynthesis — an X-ray technique used for screening of early signs of breast cancer with no symptoms that is more accurate in detecting cancer — as well as a specific 2D ultrasound machine for breast cancer inspection, equipped with elastography function and image fusion technology.
With the availability of the modern devices, he said, more women should come forward for early screenings of breast cancer to reduce the mortality rate due to the disease.
“Early detections of breast cancer have provided a better chance of treatment and this can be achieved by self-examination and regular clinical checkup,” he added.
— Bernama
