[Referrals to clinical mammography in a county without screening program].

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Mammography screening is a key tool for early breast cancer detection.
• Unindicated diagnostic mammograms contribute to healthcare system burden.
• Optimizing screening protocols is crucial for efficient resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of systematic mammography screening on reducing unindicated diagnostic mammograms.
• To assess the yield of mammography in different patient groups (no indication, risk group, clinical indication).
• To estimate potential reductions in diagnostic mammograms through optimized screening strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of mammography data from 6285 women over a four-year period.
• Categorization of women based on clinical indication, risk factors, and mammography findings.
• Calculation of potential reductions in diagnostic mammograms based on screening age groups and GP collaboration.

Main Results:

• 24% of mammograms were performed without clinical indication.
• Breast cancer detection rates varied: 0.46% (no indication), 1.2% (risk group), 8.9% (clinical indication).
• Biennial screening for women aged 50-69 could reduce diagnostic mammograms by 338 annually; further 171 reductions possible with GP cooperation for younger women.

Conclusions:

• Systematic mammography screening can significantly reduce the number of unindicated diagnostic mammograms.
• Targeted screening in specific age and risk groups improves detection efficiency.
• While reducing unindicated procedures is beneficial, direct cost savings in radiology departments may not be the primary driver for implementing screening programs.