See You in 6 Months -- Semi-Annual Follow-Up Mammo After Breast Conservation Tx

Background: It has been documented that those patients who have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer are at an increased risk for recurrence, which has been described as 1% to 2% per year for 10 years. Due to a lack of sufficient data, there has been no universalized approach in the follow-up interval recommendations for patients who have been treated for breast cancer. Objective: To compare the efficacy of semi-annual versus annual mammographic follow-up for patients who have been treated for breast cancer. Design/Methods: Over a retrospective period of 11 years, patients who were undergoing mammographic surveillance after breast conservation surgery were identified in a database. The standard recommendations had been that patients undergo mammography every 6 months after treatment completion for a period of 5 years. After 5 years, as long as the patient remained asymptomatic, it was then recommended that she undergo yearly mammography. Comparison was then made between more...