Mammography

Recently the United States Preventive Services Task Force changed the guidelines and recommendations for mammography and breast screening in women of average risk. Please look at these guidelines as well as the responses to this recommendation. You may be familiar with some of these already. As you are reading, think about the implications that this will have on your practice and what you need to know to inform your patients. 

• U.S. Preventative Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
• American Cancer Society Statement
• American College of Radiology Statement
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• ONS position statement

Mammography Quality Assurance

The American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS^®) is a quality assurance tool designed to standardize mammographic reporting, reduce confusion in breast imaging interpretation, and facilitate outcome monitoring. The reporting system is designed to provide an organized approach to image interpretation and reporting.

The BI-RADS assessment categories are

• 0: Incomplete
• 1: Negative
• 2: Benign finding(s)
• 3: Probably benign
• 4: Suspicious abnormality
• 5: Highly suggestive of malignancy
• 6: Known biopsy-proven malignancy.