Breast Symptoms in a Health Maintenance Organization
Authors: Stephen Doral Stefani, Luciana Cadore
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters7 December 1999Breast Symptoms in a Health Maintenance OrganizationStephen Doral Stefani, MD and Luciana Cadore, MDStephen Doral Stefani, MDHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Stefani)Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Cadore)Search for more papers by this author and Luciana Cadore, MDHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Stefani)Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Cadore)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-11-199912070-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Barton and colleagues' study (1) illustrates the ill-conceived notion of placing increased emphasis on the primary care provider. Most initial visits prompted by breast symptoms were to internal medicine departments. The authors' study, however, didn't mention some components of the patient's history. Many well-known factors, such as regular performance of breast self-examination (2), obesity (3), breast density, ethnicity, and estrogen replacement therapy (4), were not described. We would be interested to know the number of patients for whom the physician and midlevel clinicians properly registered this information. Adequate follow-up of breast symptoms is very important in primary ...References1. Barton MB, Elmore JG, Fletcher SW. Breast symptoms among women enrolled in a health maintenance organization: frequency, evaluation, and outcome. Ann Intern Med. 1999;130:651-7. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Harvey BJ, Miller AB, Baines CJ, Corey PN. Effect of breast self-examination techniques on the risk of death from breast cancer. CMAJ. 1997;157:1205-12. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Smith-Warner SA, Spiegelman D, Yaun SS, van den Branat , Folsam AR, Goldbohm RA, et al . Alcohol and breast cancer in women: a pooled analysis of cohort studies. JAMA. 1998;279:535-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Rosenberg RD, Hunt WC, Williamson MR, Gilliland FD, Wiest PW, Kelsey CA, et al . Effects of age, breast density, ethnicity, and estrogen replacement therapy on screening mammographic sensitivity and cancer stage at diagnosis: review of 183,134 screening mammograms in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Radiology. 1998;209:511-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Stephen Doral Stefani, MD; Luciana Cadore, MDAffiliations: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Stefani)Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre RS 91760-580, Brazil (Cadore) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoBreast Symptoms among Women Enrolled in a Health Maintenance Organization: Frequency, Evaluation, and Outcome Mary B. Barton , Joann G. Elmore , and Suzanne W. Fletcher Breast Symptoms in a Health Maintenance Organization Mary Barton , Suzanne Fletcher , and Joann Elmore Metrics Cited bymontelukast, astmaMontelukast bij astma, montelukast astma, beclometasonastma? 7 December 1999Volume 131, Issue 11Page: 865KeywordsBreast self-examinationEstrogen replacement therapyHealth care providersHealth maintenance organizationsObesityRacial and ethnic issues ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 7 December 1999 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...