Is short-interval mammography necessary after breast conservation surgery and radiation treatment in breast cancer patients?

Purpose The optimum timing and frequency of mammography in breast cancer patients after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) are controversial. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends the first posttreatment mammogram 1 year after diagnosis but no earlier than 6 months after completion of radiotherapy. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends annual mammography. Intermountain Healthcare currently follows a more frequent mammography schedule during the first 2 years in BCT patients. This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the cancer yield mammography during the first 2 years after BCT. Methods and Materials 1,435 patients received BCT at Intermountain Healthcare between 2003 and 2007, inclusive. Twenty-three patients had bilateral breast cancer (1,458 total breasts). Patients were followed up for 24 months after diagnosis. The 1- and 2-year mammography yields were determined and compared with those of the general screening population. Results 1,079 breasts had mammography at less than 1 year, and two ipsilateral recurrences (both noninvasive) were identified; 1,219 breasts had mammography during the second year, and nine recurrences (three invasive, six noninvasive) were identified. Of the 11 ipsilateral recurrences during the study, three presented with symptoms and eight were identified by mammography alone. The mammography yield was 1.9 cancers per 1,000 breasts the first year and 4.9 per 1,000 the second year. Conclusions These data demonstrate that the mammography yield during the first 2 years after BCT is not greater than that in the general population, and they support the policy for initiating followup mammography at 1 year after BCT.