Imaging breast with implants – a Swedish perspective

Abstract

Background: Today, the most common cancer among women in Sweden is breast cancer. To detect and treat cancer at an early stage, women between 40-74 years are offered mammographic screening. However, it is becoming more common with women having breast implants, which causes some difficulties in meeting the image criteria in mammographic screening. Therefore, Eklund’s technique is preferred to optimize the detection of breast cancer for women with breast implants. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report and describe the screening protocol of several mammography clinics for imaging breasts with implants. Method: A survey with four open questions was distributed, and then interpreted and reported in a quantitative manner. Out of 28 contacted mammography clinics, 24 responded. Result: The results of the study show that most of the participating clinics were using Eklund´s pushback technique without knowing it. There were significant differences in the selection of projection and compression pressure for the mammographic screening. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that guidelines are recommended to ensure that every clinic in Sweden is working evidence-based and that women can be offered equal care.