Comparing cancer detection rates of patients undergoing short term follow-up vs routine follow-up after benign breast biopsies, is follow-up needed?

PURPOSE: To compare cancer rates after benign breast biopsies between patients with short term imaging follow-up (STFU) and those with routine follow-up (RFU). MATERIALS & METHODS: Retrospective review of benign stereotactic, US or DCE-MRI breast biopsies. RESULTS: Of 580 lesions, 192 (33%) had STFU, and 388 (67%) had RFU. For US and mammographic detected lesions, there is no difference in cancer rates between the STFU (1 cancer, n=148) and the RFU group (0 cancer, n=365) (p=0.29). There were 2 cancers in the STFU group versus 0 in the RFU DCE-MRI group (p=0.54). CONCLUSION: Our results support RFU after benign ultrasound and stereotactic breast biopsies.