title: Imaging in the evaluation and follow-up of early and advanced breast cancer: When, why, and how often?
abstract: Imaging in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with early or advanced breast cancer is an important aspect of cancer care. The role of imaging in breast cancer depends on the goal and should only be performed to guide clinical decisions. Imaging is valuable if a finding will change the course of treatment and improve outcomes, whether this is disease-free survival, overall survival or quality-of-life. In the last decade, imaging is often overused in oncology and contributes to rising healthcare costs. In this context, we review the data that supports the appropriate use of imaging for breast cancer patients. We will discuss: 1) the optimal use of staging imaging in both early (Stage 0-II) and locally advanced (Stage III) breast cancer, 2) the role of surveillance imaging to detect recurrent disease in Stage 0-III breast cancer and 3) how patients with metastatic breast cancer should be followed with advanced imaging.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Brittany_Bychkovsky@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Brittany L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bychkovsky
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Nancy_Lin@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy U
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008327:Mammography; D000069342:Medical Overuse; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary
keywords: Breast cancer; Imaging; Overuse; Staging; Surveillance; Utilization