Evaluation of Two-Year Follow-Up of Patients with BI-RADS 3 Breast Ultrasound Lesions in a Single Private Ultrasound Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the frequency and progression rate of BI-RADS 4 or BI-RADS 2 during a two-year follow-up of patients with BI-RADS 3 on ultrasound screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with BI-RADS 3 lesions who entered to study from 2013 to 2018 and underwent an ultrasound on the months of 6(th), 12(th), and 24(th) after the first ultrasound. After assessment of the size, if the size of the lesion in the two dimensions were stable or decreased, BI-RADS 2 would be considered. If BI-RADS 4 were detected, the lesion would undergo a biopsy. RESULTS: The study included six hundred-four patients with BI-RADS 3 lesions at baseline. Participants' mean +/- SD (median, min-max) age was 413 +/- 9.7 (40, 19-75). By month 24, BI-RADS 3 changed to BI-RADS 2 in 585 (96.6) and BI-RADS 4 in 19 (3.1) cases.Considering the size of breast lesions, the breast sensitivity and specificity for predicting size progression and changing to BI-RADS 4 were as follows: For long axis diameter, 12 mm at baseline with 72.22 sensitivity and specificity of 71.53 and 16 mm in 6 months follow-up with sensitivity of 75 and specificity of 83.78.For short axis diameter, 6 mm at baseline with a sensitivity of 83.33 and specificity of 62.89 and 8 mm in 6 months follow-up with a sensitivity of 66.67 and specificity of 83.48. CONCLUSION: The breast lesion size was the most crucial factor in altering the BI-RADS 3 to 4.