Establishment of a consultation to announce the results of a breast biopsy

Abstract

Purpose: Establishment of post-breast biopsy consultations to announce the results. Evaluation of this system in order to help improve the practice.

Patients and methods: The radio-senologists benefited from continuing medical education for the in-house announcement. Fifty patients (with malignant results) received questionnaires comprising 13 items and the possibility of free and anonymous comments.

Results: The authors present tools to help in the interview. Thirty-one questionnaires were returned by the patients and were analysed. Thirty patients (96.8%) considered the information provided as rather or fully sufficient, and only one considered that she did not have enough time to ask all of the questions she wanted to ask. Two patients (6.6%) found the scheduling of the subsequent appointments insufficient. The patients had a rather positive overall judgement about this consultation.

Conclusion: The radiologist may provide one of the consultations to announce the results, depending on their involvement in senology, their personal expertise and their integration in the care network.

Keywords: Breaking bad news; Breast cancer; Communication; Radiologist-patient relationship; Radiology.