The purpose of the study was to evaluate the results of the application of a nonpharmacologic treatment based on explanations and reassurance to women with mastalgia. A total of 121 women were studied. They received reassurance and underwent follow up with a questionnaire 2-3 months later. An original methodology to evaluate the efficiency of mastalgia treatment was employed, which consisted of comparing pain parameters of the patients before and after treatment. The authors verified a success rate of 70.2% (n = 85) with reassurance. When evaluating the intensity of the symptom, reassurance was effective in 85.7% of the patients with a mild form of mastalgia, in 70.8% with a moderate form, and in 52.3% with a severe form. It was concluded that reassurance should be the first-line treatment for women with mastalgia. Drug prescriptions are indicated only in patients refractory to this form of management.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the results of screening and diagnostic mammography in a geographically defined population attending a regional mastology referral hospital of the State Public Service of São Paulo.MethodsA total of 7508 women, who received screening or diagnostic mammography examinations from 06/2004 to 06/2005, with follow-up until 06/2006, were included in this study. Data corresponding to age, the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), biopsy, surgery and the stage of breast cancer were collected. Five-year survival of patients with breast cancer was posteriorly calculated during this period.ResultsThis study included a total of 713 diagnostic and 6795 screening mammograms. The average age of the population was 51.2 years, with a BI-RADS end result of 4 and 5 (abnormal) in 1.9% of the screening and 11.4% of the diagnostic mammograms, respectively. All BI-RADS category zero was complemented. Of the 228 nonsurgical biopsies performed (71 CNB, 94 mammotomy and 63 FNAB), 63 (27.6%) biopsies were malignant findings. Among the 33 surgical biopsies, 10 (30.3%) biopsies were malignant findings, and of the 82 surgeries, 55 (67, 1%) procedures showed malignant findings. Seventy-one (0.9%) breast cancers (25/6795 on screening exams and 46/713 on diagnostics) were diagnosed. A total of 28.6% small cancers (≤10 mm) were observed, with 27% of the cancers in stages zero and I. Approximately 47.6% of the cases showed nodal invasion, and 4.5% of cases were not staged. Overall detection rate of breast cancer was 8.8/1000 (3.2/1000 screening and 61.7/1000 diagnostic). The overall 5-year survival rate of patients with breast cancer in this population was 79.1%.ConclusionSurvival is a key index of the overall effectiveness of health services in the management of patients with cancer. Our results suggest that this approach is feasible and can potentially improve breast cancer outcomes for many women in São Paulo.
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