Racial Disparities in Breast Imaging Wait Times Before and After the Implementation of a Same-Day Biopsy Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Health Disparities
• Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Background:

• Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial for breast cancer outcomes.
• Existing research indicates racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.
• Same-day biopsy programs aim to expedite the diagnostic process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a same-day biopsy program on the time from screening to diagnosis and surgery.
• To compare these timelines between non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Black women.
• To identify potential disparities in the breast imaging and diagnostic pathway.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of NHW and Black women with BI-RADS category 0 screening mammograms.
• Data collected from August 2020 to August 2021 at Duke University Hospital.
• Multivariable regression used to compare time intervals (screening to diagnostic imaging, diagnostic imaging to biopsy, biopsy to surgery) between racial groups.

Main Results:

• The same-day biopsy program reduced overall diagnostic imaging to biopsy time (12.5 days vs 5.9 days).
• NHW women experienced a significant reduction in time from diagnostic imaging to biopsy (12.4 days vs 4.4 days).
• Black women did not show a statistically significant reduction in this time interval (11.5 days vs 9.0 days).

Conclusions:

• Disparities persist in the breast imaging diagnostic pathway.
• The same-day biopsy program demonstrated differential benefits, primarily favoring NHW women.
• Further interventions are needed to address and eliminate racial disparities in breast cancer care.