Follow-up frequency and compliance in women with probably benign findings on breast magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
Six-month short-interval follow-up is recommended for probably benign findings on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We wanted to examine patient adherence to follow-up recommendation for Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 3 lesions at a tertiary care medical center.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of frequency and adherence rates to follow-up recommendation for women with an initial BI-RADS 3 breast MRI between 2005 and 2007.


RESULTS
A total of 132 women with BI-RADS 3 breast MRI recommendations were included. Ninety-six of 132 (72.7%) women adhered to the first follow-up recommendation or elected to have tissue diagnosis; 78/132 (59.1%) had follow-up MRI and 18/132 (13.6%) had tissue diagnosis. Thirty-six of 132 (27.3%) women did not return for follow-up. Nine of nine (100%) of BRCA carriers returned for follow-up or had tissue diagnosis, compared to 87/123 (70.7%) of non-BRCA carriers. A total of 35/41 (85.4%) of patients with a prior history of breast cancer returned for follow-up or had tissue diagnosis, compared to 61/91 (67%) of patients without a history of breast cancer. Only 5/15 (33%) of patients undergoing MRI for symptom alone adhered to follow-up recommendations.


CONCLUSIONS
Adherence to BI-RADS category 3 follow-up recommendation is often low. Women with a history of breast cancer or who were BRCA carriers were significantly more likely to adhere to follow-up recommendation than women without a history of breast cancer or women undergoing MRI for symptoms alone. Strategies to improve adherence should be developed.
Department of Medicine, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Ariela L
AL
Marshall
Susan M
SM
Domchek
Susan P
SP
Weinstein
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity