title: Lack of nationwide Danish guidelines on mammography before non-oncological breast surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-oncological breast surgery like breast reduction and mastopexy are often performed in younger patients, i.e. in women who have not yet had mammography. Breast cancer is, however, a very frequent disease that is increasingly prevalent in women below 50 years of age. Occult breast cancer may not be recognised before breast surgery, which may result in several disadvantages for the women. Therefore, detecting a breast cancer before a woman undergoes non-oncological breast surgery is of paramount importance.
  
  
  METHODS
  All public plastic surgery and breast surgery departments and all private clinics or hospitals providing plastic surgery were asked two questions: 1) When do you recommend a mammography prior to non-oncological breast surgery? 2) How old must a mammogram be before it needs to be repeated?
  
  
  RESULTS
  Answers were received from all plastic surgery and breast surgery departments, and all but three of the private clinics and hospitals. Overall, information was obtained from 95.5% of the respondents (n = 63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, there are no Danish guidelines on mammography before non-oncological breast surgery. A national guideline could recommend a preoperative mammogram from the age of 40 years stipulating that the mammogram should have been made within the past 12 months; however, the final recommendation should be prepared by a multidisciplinary working group counting experts from plastic surgery, breast surgery, pathology and radiology.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
authors.affiliation: Plastikkirurgisk Afdeling, Odense Universitetshospital, Denmark, Søndre Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense C, Denmark. doc@thomasfoged.dk.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Foged
authors.forename: Jens Ahm
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Katrine Lydolph
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Søe
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bille
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery*; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000592:standards*; D008327:Mammography / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*