2022 Volume 71 Issue 2 Pages 210-216
It is important to analyze the results of cancer screening at each institution to verify the accuracy and usefulness of the screening. We analyzed the results of breast cancer screening (BCS) of 18,971 individuals at our hospital during the three-year period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018, and reviewed quality control indexes for cancer screening, the final diagnoses of positive cases, the comparative results of mammography (MG) and ultrasonography (US) performed for detailed examinations, and the processes leading to cancer diagnoses. The quality control indexes for each year were as follows: positive rates were 6.3%, 5.0%, and 6.6%; further examination rates were 86.4%, 88.9%, and 84.7%; and positive predictive values were 3.5%, 3.4%, and 2.2%, which met the acceptable guideline values. However, cancer detection rates were 0.20%, 0.17%, and 0.15%, which were lower than the acceptable values. A possible explanation is that the acceptable values were set using patients who underwent MG screening for the first time, whereas our hospital has many repeat patients who are examined every year from the same outside. A comparison between the MG and US results indicated that each the tests complement each other, and thus screening with both tests would be more effective as previously described. Of the 34 breast cancer patients, 12 were graded A in the previous year, and four of those patients had advanced cancer (stage II or III). These results suggest a need for further studies on appropriate screening intervals and the use of both MG and US for screening.
