Benign breast disease: The cost of the service and the cost to the patient

Abstract

The patients attending a hospital breast clinic during 1 year have been reviewed to assess the impact and cost of benign conditions. Four of 5 patients referred do not have cancer. The cost to the patient lies predominantly in anxiety related to the possibility of cancer and, to a lesser extent, in cosmetic damage due to multiple biopsies. Benign breast disease is a common problem that creates severe anxiety in many women and a heavy burden on an overstretched National Health Service. A policy of reeducating general practitioners when it is safe not to refer may reduce this problem. Cyst aspiration or needle aspiration cytology may reduce the burden to both the patient and the health service, while desensitization of women's groups and women themselves to the needs for breast self-examination can also reduce this burden.

Prevalence of Benign Breast Lesions, Epithelial Proliferations with or without Atypia in Calabar-A Retrospective Review

“…Although the rate of non prolifrative lesions [37] (67%), in a fifteen year Mayo clinic cohort study in the United states, compares with our findings. Baum, M reviewed the impact of these lesions on the patients and concluded that the cost lies on the anxiety that they may be cancerous and the cosmetic deformity from multiple biopsies that often accompany them [1]. Surgical treatment of these benign lesions tends to be common in our setting and diagnosis commonly relies on clinical assessment alone.…”

“…The discovery of a breast lump in Calabar-Nigeria as it is everywhere evokes such deep anxiety in the patients and relations, young and old alike [1]. Myths about breast cancer still abound among Nigerians, uneducated and educated, because according to Anyanwu et' al missed opportunities for breast cancer education fuel them [2].…”

Determination of placental ferritin (PLF)‐positive lymphocytes in women in early stages of breast cancer

“…Although prognostically more favorable cancer stages will be detected in this way, more and more mammographically controversial findings will occur too. Moreover, Baum reports that only 20% of all admissions to the "King's College Hospital Breast Clinic" over 1 year were cancer patients, while 80% exhibited benign changes (Baum, 1989). Due to lack of clarity of radiological findings, some patients in the latter group will be subjected to further costly and often uncomfortable diagnostic procedures, including repeated mammographic controls, fine-needle aspiration or surgical excision.…”

The ‘cues’ to diagnosis: describing the monitoring activities of women undergoing diagnostic investigations for breast disease

“…Undergoing diagnostic investigations for symptoms of breast disease has been identified as an intensely stressful period for women and their partners ( Scott 1983, Baum 1989, Northouse 1989, Fridfinnsdottir 1997, Poole 1997a, Deane & Degner 1998). Quantified anxiety levels in these women have been recorded as exceeding normative values ( Benedict et al .…”

“…Undergoing diagnostic investigations for symptoms of breast disease has been identi®ed as an intensely stressful period for women and their partners (Scott 1983, Baum 1989, Northouse 1989, Frid®nnsdottir 1997, Poole 1997a, Deane & Degner 1998. Quanti®ed anxiety levels in these women have been recorded as exceeding normative values (Benedict et al 1994, Northouse et al 1995, Dean & Degner 1998 with some researchers reporting a magnitude of negative affect reaching that recorded by psychiatric patients (Scott 1983, Seckel & Birney 1996, Poole et al 1999.…”