Referral patterns for the evaluation of non-palpable breast abnormalities

Area of Science:

• Breast imaging and diagnostics
• Surgical oncology
• Primary care medicine

Background:

• Non-palpable suspicious mammographic abnormalities necessitate image-guided breast biopsies.
• Understanding primary care physicians' (PCPs) knowledge gaps is crucial for appropriate patient referral.
• Identifying effective information dissemination channels is key to improving diagnostic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess PCPs' knowledge of breast biopsy procedures for non-palpable lesions.
• To examine PCP referral patterns for breast biopsies.
• To identify optimal channels for disseminating breast biopsy information to PCPs.

Main Methods:

• A baseline survey was mailed to all PCPs, surgeons, and radiologists in Vermont.
• Data collected included knowledge of procedures and referral habits.
• Information dissemination preferences were also surveyed.

Main Results:

• PCPs demonstrated a preference for referring patients for excisional biopsies over percutaneous ones.
• Surgeons and radiologists primarily accessed information through journals and professional meetings.
• PCPs most frequently cited radiologists as their primary source of information regarding these procedures.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced dissemination of information on percutaneous breast biopsy indications is needed in medical journals and at professional meetings.
• Improving PCP understanding of percutaneous biopsy can lead to more appropriate workup algorithms for suspicious mammographic findings.
• Targeted educational strategies are essential for optimizing breast lesion management.