COMPLIANCE WITH RECOMMENDED FOLLOW-UP AFTER FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY OF NONPALPABLE BREAST-LESIONS - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

PURPOSE: To determine compliance with recommendations for mammographic or surgical follow-up after fine-needle aspiration biopsy of nonpalpa ble breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the me dical records of 419 patients in whom surgical or mammographic follow- up had been recommended after fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Mammograp hic, clinical, and follow-up findings were correlated with patient out come. Of 466 lesions, 395 lesions in 359 patients (age range, 24-89 ye ars; average age, 55 years) were nonpalpable and composed the study. R ESULTS: Excisional biopsy was recommended in 141 cases (35.7%) and clo se-interval mammographic surveillance in 165 (41.8%). Biopsy was perfo rmed in 122 (86.5%) of the 141 cases in which it was recommended. Of 1 65 cases in which follow-up mammography was recommended, 84 (50.9%) we re resolved at the close of the study. In the remaining cases, women e ither did not return (n = 24), were followed up elsewhere or moved (n = 35), were lost to follow-up by their physicians (n = 17), or were lo st to follow-up for other reasons (n = 5). CONCLUSION: Noncompliance w ith follow-up recommendations is an important issue undermining the be nefits of fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Difficulty in tracking patien ts hinders assessment of patient compliance.