Value of contralateral surveillance mammography for primary breast cancer follow-up.
Mammographic screening of the contralateral breast is often advocated during follow-up of women previously treated for primary operable breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of this investigation. Between 1987 and 1995 a total of 5102 contralateral screening mammograms were performed biennially on 2511 women aged </= 70 years following treatment for primary operable breast cancer. Sixty-five metachronous contralateral breast cancers were identified: 21 (32%) at routine clinical examination, 24 (37%) at mammography, and 20 (31%) by patients between routine follow-up appointments. The prognostic features of metachronous cancers were better or similar to those of the first cancer in 59 of 65 (91%) cases. Because of the favorable prognostic characteristics of the contralateral cancer, mammographic screening may have contributed to the long-term survival of 16 of 26 women in whom the histologic characteristics of the first cancer predicted a good prognosis. The cancer detection rate with mammography for these women was 6.5 per 1000 contralateral mammogram investigations at a cost of pound3852 per cancer detected. The results of this study suggest that surveillance mammography of the contralateral breast is of value in women whose first cancer predicted a favorable prognosis.
Kollias
J
J
Professorial Unit of Surgery, City Hospital Nottingham, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. jkollias@cancer.rah.sa.gov.au
Evans
A J
AJ
Wilson
A R
AR
Ellis
I O
IO
Elston
C W
CW
Blamey
R W
RW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology