Pattern of follow-up care and early relapse detection in breast cancer patients.

Routine breast cancer follow-up aims at detecting second primary breast cancers and loco regional recurrences preclinically. We studied breast cancer follow-up practice and mode of relapse detection during the first 5 years of follow-up to determine the efficiency of the follow-up schedule. The Netherlands Cancer Registry provided data of 6,509 women, operated for invasive non-metastatic breast cancer in 2003-2004.

Association between guideline adherence and clinical outcome for patients referred for diagnostic breast imaging.

Objective: To assess the adherence to a guideline for additional breast ultrasonography in a cross-sectional survey among hospitals in The Netherlands. Furthermore, consequences of current practice non-adherence for the patient outcome of diagnostic breast imaging were studied.

Methods: Current practice was compared with a guideline made up of three recommendations for the use of ultrasonography after mammography and three recommendations for not using ultrasonography.

Diagnostic performance of breast technologists in reading mammograms in a clinical patient population.

Purpose: In the setting of an increasing workload for radiologists, this study focuses on the feasibility of skill mixing in breast imaging in a hospital radiology department.

Methods: Two radiological technologists with more than 10 years of experience in performing mammograms were trained in prereading mammograms to select the cases that require further evaluation by a radiologist. Mammograms of consecutive patients were independently evaluated by the technologists, next to the standard clinical interpretation by the radiologist on duty.

Costs and effects of using specialized breast technologists in prereading mammograms in a clinical patient population.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the costs and effects of using specialized breast technologists in prereading mammograms to reduce the increasing workload of radiologists in daily clinical practice. Mammography is the most widely used imaging modality for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.

Methods: A total of 1389 mammograms of consecutive patients were evaluated by two technologists trained in mammogram interpretation.