Breast pain indicates possibility of cancer, study finds - Diagnostic Imaging

Breast pain indicates possibility of cancer, study finds - Diagnostic Imaging
In the controversy surrounding using breast pain as a reason for diagnostic imaging, researchers find cancers may manifest in the absence of other signs or symptoms. During a study presented Thursday at the RSNA meeting, researchers found eight of 500 women seeking breast exams for breast pain were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast pain is one of the most common reasons prompting a breast exam, according to Dr. Lauren Stein, from the University of Michigan, who presented the study. The reported prevalence of breast cancer in women presenting with breast pain ranges from 0% to 7%. But the literature about imaging women with breast pain is limited, hence there is some controversy regarding diagnostic imaging for breast pain.