It can be performed for either diagnostic or screening purposes[1] and can be used with or without a mammogram.

[3][4] Automated whole-breast ultrasound (AWBU) is a technique that produces volumetric images of the breast and is largely independent of operator skill.

[6] Elastography is a type of ultrasound examination that measures tissue stiffness and can be used to detect tumours.

[8] Women may prefer breast ultrasound over mammography because it is a painless procedure and does not involve the discomfort of breast compression present in mammograms.

Breast ultrasound is typically performed using a frequency of 7 to 14 Megahertz, and may also include ultrasound of the axillary tail of the breast and axillae to detect abnormal nodes in the axilla, as lymphatic drainage of parts of the breast occurs through axillary lymph nodes.