AB020. 84. Close to the bosom: annual mammogram surveillance as a follow up tool for post-op breast cancer patients

Background: This is a quality improvement project based on the NICE guidance [CG80] stipulation of annual follow up with mammogram for every cancer patient for the first 5 years and mammographic follow up every 2 years for the next 5 years. We aimed to determine if demonstrate annual mammograms are an efficient method of follow up in post-op breast cancer patients and to assess our centres compliance with the NICE guidelines.

Methods: We reviewed imaging requests for all cancer patients who had wire guided wide local excision, wide local excision and unilateral mastectomy from January 2017 to June 2017.

Results: Four hundred and one operations were performed of which, 92 were mastectomies, 122 wide local excisions and 184 wire-guided wide local excisions. Ninety-five percent of patients had follow up mammogram date and time booked.

Conclusions: In order to improve the quality of care in our centre, after these results we have developed a system, starting with the clinician that makes the booking of the first annual mammogram, during the first post-op appointment. This is then checked by junior doctors and breast care nurses after each weekly multi-disciplinary team. Subsequent mammograms are booked by the radiology personnel on the day of the patient’s first follow up mammogram. We have demonstrated that annual mammograms, as a tool in the hands of the clinicians, are an effective way to ensure that patients are not lost to follow up. We recommend that other units audit their annual mammogram bookings and can adopt a similar process to ensure patients are followed up.

Keywords: Mammogram; follow-up; clinician