Minority women are less likely to complete recommended follow-up breast imaging after their mammograms, new data show.
A new analysis of more than 4,000 women with nondiagnostic BI-RADS-0 screening mammograms revealed that those who identified their race as Asian, Black or “other” on demographics were more likely to either delay their follow-up imaging beyond the recommended 60-day timeframe or forego it completely.
These findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, where experts involved in the study cautioned that nonadherence to follow-up recommendations—even for BI-RADS 0 screenings that do not generally merit the same concern as higher classifications—can be consequential.
“Exams that receive a score of BI-RADS 0 are incomplete and require an individual to return for further imaging,” corresponding author Samantha Platt, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and colleagues explained. “In cases where a finding does represent a malignancy, reducing time to follow-up diagnostic imaging and then treatment can prevent advancement of disease.”
Experts of the study sought to identify factors that might impact the likelihood of women completing their recommended follow-ups. To do this they analyzed the cases of 4,552 women with BI-RADS 0 screenings over a two-year timeframe.
Nearly 20% of the women included in the study did not complete their follow-up imaging at all, and out of the 3,648 women who did adhere to additional imaging, 23.3% delayed their exams beyond the recommended 60-day period.
In addition to the women who marked Asian, Black or “other” on their demographics questionnaires, individuals who did not identify their race and those who completed their forms in Spanish were also found to forego or delay imaging.
“These delays are concerning and may contribute to the poorer breast cancer outcomes in these individuals,” the authors cautioned. “Further study is required to identify the causes for these delays in order to better guide interventions to reduce the care disparities for these individuals.”
Authors of the study noted that their work adds to the growing body of evidence that language differences pose a significant healthcare barrier for non-English speakers. They also pointed out supporting results from prior research that cited social and financial barriers based on race and ethnicity that could make it more difficult to obtain additional imaging.
The study abstract can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.