ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Mammograms are important tools in
diagnosing breast cancer and have been shown to reduce the risk of dying from
the disease by 35 percent in women over age 50. Now, experts say the test is
sensitive enough for radiologists to recommend a six-month follow-up diagnostic
mammogram, rather than invasive biopsy, when a possibly benign breast legion is
found.
Researchers say six-month short-interval follow-up exams have an 83 percent
sensitivity, meaning they detect more “true positives” (true cancer cases) than
“false negatives” (cases mistaken as cancer). A more accurate follow-up may help
eliminate unnecessary biopsies -- invasive procedures that increase medical
costs and can cause patient anxiety.
Researchers studied 45,007 initial short-interval follow-up mammograms,
performed to look for any changes in “probably benign” lesions identified by an
annual screening mammogram. Results show the likelihood of a “probably benign”
lesion developing into cancer is very small. Altogether about one in 100 were
eventually diagnosed as cancer. These results stress the American College of
Radiology’s recommendation that women get a short-interval follow-up mammogram
at six months when a lesion is found.
“This follow-up exam, because it occurs at six months, still allows opportunity
to detect any changes earlier than the normal [12 month] screening exam,” Erin
J. Aiello Bowles, M.P.H., lead author of the study from the Group Health Center
for Health Studies, told Ivanhoe. “We really want to emphasize with this study
that it is important for radiologists to follow these recommendations and it’s
also important for patients to follow them. They should come in within six
months if they’re not going to have a biopsy.”
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Erin J. Aiello Bowles, M.P.H.; American
Journal of Roentgenology, 2008;190:1200-1208
