Breast Cancer Yield and Follow-up Interval for BI-RADS 3 Lesions at Phangnga Hospital
Keywords:
BI-RADS 3, Mammogram, Follow-upAbstract
Background: Because the incidence of breast cancer was found to be less than 2% in patients in the BI-RADS 3 group, the monitoring method was different from the other groups in that there was a short-term follow-up examination as an alternative to a biopsy.
Objective: To study the cancer detection rate in 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months of the follow-up mammogram of patients in the BI-RADS 3 group in Phangnga Hospital. Including finding the biopsy rate, the frequency of progressive lesions, and the frequency of newly developed lesions.
Method: A retrospective descriptive study was performed by searching for BI-RADS 3 patients from 1 August 2011 to 30 June 2024 who did not meet the exclusion criteria. After that, general patient information such as age, breast density, and mammographic findings will be collected, followed by comparing cancer detection rates, newly developed lesion rates, progression rates, and biopsy rates for each period.
Results: Of the total 341 patients in the study, there were 258 (75.7%), 188 (55.1%), 163 (47.8%), and 150 (44.0%) follow-up patients at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months, respectively. A total of 6 patients with cancer were included throughout the study (1.8%), of whom four patients had progressed lesions and two patients had newly developed lesions. Three patients had cancer at initial follow-up without short-term follow-up, with cancer detected at 12, 18, and more than 24 months. Two of the three were found to have large cancers and axillary lymphadenopathy at follow-up. When comparing the cancer detection rate, progression rate, newly developed lesion rate, and biopsy rate at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, the four groups were not significantly different (p-value = 0.78, 0.50, 0.57, 0.63, respectively).
Conclusion: Short-term follow-up of BI-RADS 3 patients is suitable for early detection of progressed lesions, including helping to detect cancer early before the disease spreads. Ultrasound follow-up alone can be used in lesions initially detected by ultrasound. Cooperation in the continuous monitoring of patients helps to quickly diagnose cancer.
Keyword: BI-RADS 3, Mammogram, Follow-up
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