Time to Clinical Follow-up after Abnormal Mammogram among African American and Hispanic Women.

BACKGROUND: Time to clinical follow-up after an abnormal mammogram may be a significant factor contributing to breast cancer health disparities.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate time to follow-up in a cross-sectional cohort of African American and Hispanic women who obtained mammogram screening at a county facility.

METHODS: Time to follow-up was assessed in days after an abnormal mammogram to subsequent clinical care in a cross-sectional study of 74 women.

RESULTS: The median number of days until clinical follow-up after an abnormal mammogram for women in the study was 30 days (Range: 0-357 days). There was a statistically significant difference in the time-to-biopsy among women who had incomplete mammograms and women who had comorbid conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: This data indicates that county services provide clinical follow-up in compliance with recommended guidelines of 30 days. However, women with incomplete mammograms and comorbid conditions may be at a higher risk of experiencing delays in diagnosis and treatment.