Primary Care Visits For Breast Symptoms And The Frequency Of Cancer Diagnosis

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 11 Nov 2008 - 5:00 PST

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A study of 84,285 women seeking care in Dutch family physician offices between 1985 and 2003 revealed that breast symptoms were reported in about 3 percent of all visits.

Of the women complaining of breast symptoms, 3 percent of those women were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. Notably, those patients reporting a breast mass had a markedly elevated likelihood of breast cancer (15.04 likelihood ratio), suggesting that clinicians should aggressively work up such complaints regardless of patient age.

Characterizing Breast Symptoms in Family Practice
By Margaret M. Eberl, M.D., M.P.H, et al
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York

Annals of Family Medicine - November/December 2008

The Annals of Family Medicine is a new peer-reviewed research journal to meet the needs of scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and the patients and communities they serve. The Annals of Family Medicine is dedicated to advancing knowledge essential to understanding and improving health and primary care. The Annals supports a learning community of those who generate and use information about health and generalist health care.

http://www.annfammed.org/current.shtml

Angela Sharma
American Academy of Family Physicians