Different BIRADS Categories in Screening and Diagnostic Mammography

Background/Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Iranian women. The mean age of these cancer patients is one decade younger than that of other developing countries. The aim of this study was frequency determination of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) subcategories, especially, higher categories and analysis of its related factors in the patients referred to the radiology department of Valie-Asr Hospital, Birjand. Patients and Methods: The study was performed on 437 female patients from June 2006 to May 2007. Patients were divided into two groups; namely, those who underwent screening mammography and those who underwent diagnostic mammography. An expert radiologist reported the mammograms according to BIRADS classification. SPSS ver 12 software and Chisquare test were used for statistical analysis and P-value was significant under 0.05. Results: The mean age was 43.8±9 years. Eighty-one percent of the mammograms were diagnostic and only 19% of them were screening mammographies. Unilateral breast pain was the most common symptom (29%) of which 68% were premenopausal. Fify-five percent of them had a history of OCP consumption. The overall BIRADS classification frequencies were: category 0: 9 (3%), category 1: 85 (19%), category 2: 268 (61%), category 3: 37 (8%), category 4: 22 (5%), category 5: 16 (4%). A positive test result (BIRADS categories 4 and 5) in our study was 10.7% in the diagnostic group and 1.2% in the screening group (p=0.007). Five percent of all patients had a familial history of breast cancer. Conclusion: Screening mammography is recommended for early evaluation and early diagnosis of breast cancer.