EP4 - Beyond the Surface: A Comprehensive Clinical Audit of Radiological Studies in Mastalgia

Abstract Aims Breast pain is a common symptom in women, frequently presenting to primary care physicians and breast specialists. Despite its prevalence, the causes and optimal treatment of mastalgia often remain unclear (1). Methods We established predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria to create a patient cohort comprising individuals who underwent radiological investigations for mastalgia between January 2021 and December 2021. Results The choice of initial investigation varied based on the patient's age and clinical examination findings. Mammography was the initial investigation for 91 patients (55.49%), while 73 patients (44.51%) underwent ultrasound examinations. No patients required histological investigations due to the absence of significant findings suitable for biopsy. Conclusions Our results suggest that diagnostic imaging for breast pain does not significantly contribute to increased cancer detection. This observation held true when we stratified the data by patient status, age, gender, and imaging modality. Notably, the rate of cancer diagnoses in our audit population was 0%, which contrasts with international literature reporting rates within the range of 0-3% (9)(10). Our findings highlight the concern of overutilization of diagnostic imaging in healthcare settings. Furthermore, it underscores that normal test results do not necessarily offer reassurance to patients and can sometimes increase their anxiety levels (10)(11).