Does SureTouch work if I have breast implants?

Yes. Since breast implants are placed below the breast tissue and SureTouch doesn’t require compression of the breast any palpable lesions in the breast tissue can be detected with SureTouch. SureTouch can also image breast tissue in the upper outer quadrant where more than 50% of the breast cancers occur.

Does SureTouch work if I have dense breast tissue?

Yes. Breast density is what mammogram measures, but SureTouch measures tissue hardness or elasticity. They are two different properties. If a breast lump is detected, SureTouch uses your breast tissue elasticity as a baseline to compare the hardness.

What are calcifications? It says SureTouch can’t detect these?

Calcifications in the breast ducts are detected by mammograms. Otherwise known as DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), there has been criticism about over treating these as cancer since 30% of them do not progress into cancer.

The human body has natural mechanisms to correct mutated cells that can turn into cancer, and cancer cells also need the right environment to grow. Proper diet, low in animal protein (less than 10% of caloric consumption), can keep cancer cells from growing. (TC Campbell and TM Campbell, The China Study.)

How is SureTouch different than an ultrasound?

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that are sent out into the breast and measure what bounces back. Because it is a narrow beam that provides a crossectional view of the breast, it is difficult to scan the entire breast. Ultrasound is very effective in identifying fluid filled cysts.

A FDA-cleared breakthrough technology, SureTouch is a safe, accurate breast examination that enables all areas of the breast to be examined while offering immediate digitized results for you and your doctor. Originally developed at Harvard, SureTouch measures the reactive pressures generated by a cancerous tissue, which is more than 100 times harder than normal tissue. The device consists of a hand-held transceiver that is gently moved across the entire breast and underarm area and produces ultra-sensitive, multi-dimensional color images, which are delivered to a computer screen. With SureTouch, the clinician, patient and doctor can view the size, shape, hardness and location of suspicious masses in real time. Women have the answers they need immediately.

What age can you start getting a SureTouch Breast exam?

Just as manual breast exams are not affected by age, SureTouch is effective for younger women or older women. Because SureTouch exams are digitally stored for future reference, results can be tracked and compared for changes over time. Young patients can develop health baseline with their first test. This means more peace of mind for the patient and more control for clinicians in knowing that small masses and changes in women’s breast health may be documented and observed.

How does SureTouch work with Fibrocystic Breast Tissue?

Fibrocystic and glandular tissue can be soft or hard depending on the hormonal cycle. SureTouch determines the hardness of the tissue and compares that with the surrounding tissue. Patients with hard lumpy tissue are asked to come in for a 2nd exam in 2 weeks so that we can isolate lumps due to hormonal changes from a concerning lump. Keep in mind, only 1 out of 12 lumps are cancerous and detecting them early is the key to better outcomes.

How small of a lump can SureTouch detect?

While 80 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancers are found by women through their sense of touch during regular self-exams (info), the average size lump found through such self-exam is approximately 2.5cm and the average size lump found by trained medical clinicians using palpation is approximately 1cm. SureTouch is FDA cleared to document palpable lesions and is far more sensitive than human touch. SureTouch can therefore detect smaller lesions than a medical clinician can.

Can SureTouch be used as a diagnostic tool?

It is not a diagnostic product. SureTouch is used to visualize the sense of touch, and generate an objective, accurate, and consistent printed report for review by the patient. A second formatted report is for review by the attending medical practitioner, and can be placed in the patient file as needed. A digital report file can also be generated and be appended to the patient’s electronic medical record viewable by mammographers and attending breast surgeons.