Review Question - QID 103038

Women with breast implants experience the same incidence of breast cancer as women without implants and should be screened at the same intervals. Mammography at age 50 is appropriate screening.

Women with and without breast implants should begin regular mammogram screening beginning at age 50 years (some physicians may elect to start at age 40). Women post-mastectomy with implant reconstruction should continue screening because of recurrence in remnant breast tissues or adjacent structures. Women with implants for augmentation purposes should continue screening because all or most native breast tissue is still present, so the risk is equal to the pre-implant stage. If an abnormal/calcified mass is found, then biopsy is necessary to further work up malignancy.

Incorrect Answers:
Answer 1: Alcohol cessation is recommended for general health and to reduce the risk of breast cancer. One drink per day is not considered excessive and may actually lower mortality in a woman. Note, it is 1 drink per day and not an average of 1 drink per day as binge drinking (e.g., 7 drinks once a week) increases mortality.

Answer 2: Colonoscopy at age 60 is inappropriate as the recommendations are colonoscopy at age 50 or 10 years before when a family member had colon cancer, whichever is sooner.

Answer 3: Colonoscopy now is inappropriate as this patient should have a colonoscopy routinely at the age of 50.

Answer 5: Mammography now is not needed as breast implants do not increase the risk of breast cancer.

Bullet Summary:
Patients with breast implants should have mammography performed at the same time as the general population.