Breast cancer: pre- and postoperative imaging for staging.

Mammography is considered the "gold standard" in the evaluation of the breast from an imaging perspective. Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefit of mammography in detecting smaller cancers, leading to identification of early-stage breast cancers, which largely accounts for decreased mortality from breast cancer and the increased rate of breast conservation. Identification of a suspicious lesion on a mammogram prompts further evaluation including additional mammographic views, ultrasound examination, and biopsy.