COMPLIANCE WITH RECOMMENDED FOLLOW-UP AFTER PERCUTANEOUS BREAST CORE BIOPSY

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to use information from an es tablished patient tracking system to evaluate patient outcome and asse ss patient compliance with recommended follow-up after-percutaneous br east core biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS, All breast core biopsies perf ormed from January 1994 through February 14, 1996, that used stereotax ic or sonographic guidance were reviewed, Clinical, imaging, and patho logic findings were correlated with patient outcomes established by re commended surgical and nonsurgical follow-up, RESULTS. Of 160 core bio psies in 153 women, 30 biopsies were performed on the basis of clinica l complaints. One hundred thirty lesions were detected by mammography or sonography or both, Of the 70 lesions recommended for surgical exci sion, 52 (74%) had documented surgical outcomes, Mammographic surveill ance was recommended for 90 lesions, of which 10 (11%) had resolved at the time of this study, 49 (54%) were on track toward 3-year lesion s tability, 21 (23%) were being followed up elsewhere, four (4%) were lo st to physicians, and six (7%) were lost to follow-up for other reason s. CONCLUSION. Known compliance with follow-up recommendations among t hese 153 patients who underwent breast core biopsy was higher for pati ents receiving surgical recommendation (74%) than for patients receivi ng imaging surveillance recommendation (54%), Problems tracking patien ts were caused both by loss of patients to follow-up and by incomplete reporting from referring physicians.