Effect of Breast-Light Device as an Adjuvant for Clinical Breast Examination in Breast Examination Clinic, Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. Limited screening resources and delayed diagnosis remain major challenges in Iraq. Breast-light imaging is a portable, noninvasive technique that may support early detection of breast abnormalities. Objective: To evaluate breast-light imaging compared with clinical breast examination (CBE) and ultrasonography and assess associations between breast examination findings and sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Patients and Methods: This descriptive hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 305 women attending the breast examination clinic at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, between January 1 and July 30, 2015. Data were collected through direct interviews using a structured questionnaire. Participants underwent CBE, breast-light imaging, and ultrasonography. Agreement between examination methods was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Results: Breast abnormalities were detected in 28.5%, 16.7%, and 46.2% of participants by CBE, breast-light imaging, and ultrasonography, respectively. Breast-light imaging demonstrated moderate agreement with CBE (κ=0.431) and fair agreement with ultrasonography (κ=0.365). Substantial agreement was observed between CBE and ultrasonography (κ=0.607). Suspicious ultrasonographic features were significantly associated with older age (P=0.002) and oral contraceptive use (P=0.04), but not with family history or breastfeeding. Conclusion: Breast-light imaging may complement clinical examination; however, its limited agreement with ultrasonography prevents its use as a replacement for established diagnostic methods.