Automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) in breast cancer - a review

The early detection of breast cancer is essential for its timely diagnosis and treatment. Many imaging modalities are continually being developed to screen and diagnose breast cancer at an early stage. Especially, ultrasound (US) is one of useful diagnostic tools to dis- tinguish benign from malignant masses of the breast. However, the US image has some limitations, such as low resolution and low con- trast, speckle noise, and blurry edges between various organs. Recent technological advancements in the area resulted in development of automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) that could increase the diagnostic confidence for a physician and provide a possible solution to improve the positive predictive value of breast biopsy. The purpose of the present review article was to explore the advantages and technical advancements of ABVS for diagnosing breast cancer patients.