Course Overview

This 16 week online CPD course will cover level 1 knowledge and application of theory, mapped to the UK Royal College of Radiologist's curriculum for breast ultrasound for non-radiologists. It is intended to provide theoretical grounding in the principles and practice of clinical breast ultrasound for practising breast clinicians as a basis to start to incorporate supervised breast ultrasound into your own clinical practice.

Course format

The course will commence with one week of background reading, followed by 14 weeks of active on-line participation split between seven topics. The final week will enable consolidation of knowledge.

Topics Covered

Introduction and writing a report
The normal breast
Benign breast disease, infections and B3 lesions
Breast cancer
Axillary lymph nodes
Ultrasound-guided interventions
Practical ultrasound experience

Learning outcomes

Discuss the relevant physics and technology basis for US practice
Demonstrate competent practical US technique
Compose structured and comprehensive US reporting for medical records
Describe and recognise the US appearance of the normal breast
Recognise and evaluate US appearance of the abnormal breast (benign, infection, B3, cancers)
Interpret US appearances of the post-operative breast (scarring, implants, complications)

By the end of this module you will be able to demonstrate:

An understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of breast ultrasound
An understanding of the indications for and the importance of ultrasound in the triple assessment process
An awareness of the interdependency and significance of mammographic and ultrasound appearances
The ability to perform a thorough ultrasound examination of the breast and axilla, to recognise normal anatomy and physiological variation as detailed above and to confidently exclude the presence of a sonographic lesion within the breast
The recognition of established criteria for lesion characterisation
Identification and discrimination between clearly normal and suspicious axillary lymph nodes
The ability to write a detailed report of the ultrasound findings with grading, differential diagnosis, conclusion and recommendation for further management
The recognition of personal limitations and ability to ask for more expert advice if required

Target Audience

Consultant Breast surgeons
Senior trainees in breast surgery
Radiographers
Physician Associates

Course fees: £500

Discount rates may be available. To check eligibility please email blendedlearninguk@jpaget.nhs.uk with the following information: Which country do you currently practice in? What is your professional registration number? eg GMC, NMC

Qualifications Available

CPD certification from the University of East Anglia

The number of CPD hours awarded is calculated based on your average participation score across all topics:

80% and above 40 CPD hours
60-79% 20 CPD hours
40-59% 10 CPD hours
39% and below No CPD hours

Practical Training Session (additional charge) (Date TBC)

A face to face practical study day will compliment your online theoretical learning, and you will be encouraged to maintain a reflective logbook available via our partner organisation, Logitbox.

Previous practical training sessions have been recorded and are available as part of this course content.

For participants who wish to gain some hands on training, a practical teaching session is run in the UK by Blended Learning UK. This one day course will demonstrate basic practical ultrasound techniques, and provide the skills basis for:

Basic breast ultrasound skills on live models
Ultrasound guided cyst drainage
Ultrasound guided biopsy

INTRODUCTION TO BREAST ULTRASOUND