Mammographic findings in opportunistic breast cancer screening in a private diagnostic centre in Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria

Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among women worldwide, with many cases in Nigeria presenting at an advanced stage. In the absence of a national organized screening program, opportunistic mammographic screening in private facilities is crucial for early detection. This retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study reviewed records of 121 asymptomatic women aged 35 years and above who underwent mammographic screening between January 2024 and January 2026 at a private diagnostic centre in Mushin, Lagos State. Data were extracted from the facility's Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, and logistic regression. Participants had a mean age of 53.0 ± 9.63 years, and 38.1% were aged 40–49 years. Breast density assessment showed that 42.1% had dense breasts (BI-RADS categories C and D), with a significant inverse correlation between age and breast density (p = 0.001). Overall, 5% of participants had findings requiring biopsy (BI-RADS 4–5); axillary lymphadenopathy was reported in 29.8%, calcifications in 5.8%, and masses in 1.7%. Logistic regression identified breast density as the dominant independent predictor of abnormal mammographic interpretation (OR = 34.648; 95% CI: 10.739–111.784; p < 0.001), whereas age was not significant (p = 0.518). The study concludes that opportunistic screening detects actionable findings but is challenged by a high rate of incomplete assessments driven by breast density. It is recommended that facilities integrate ultrasound services for women with dense breasts, and that policymakers develop evidence-based national screening guidelines.