SBI: What a New Study Reveals About Social Risk Factors and Follow-Up Imaging After Abnormal Screening Mammograms

New multinational research presented at the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) symposium shows the impact of social risk factors upon receiving follow-up imaging after abnormal findings on screening mammograms.

For the retrospective multinational study, researchers reviewed ICD-10 data noting the presence or absence of social determinants of health (SDOH) in over 138,000 women > 40 years of age who had abnormal screening mammogram results. The study authors subsequently determined if the women had either diagnostic mammography or breast ultrasound within 30 days after receiving screening results.¹

The researchers found that only 14.99 percent of those with adverse SDOH had follow-up diagnostic imaging within 30 days in comparison to 30.35 percent of women with no adverse SDOH.¹

“Women with documented social risk are nearly half as likely to complete diagnostic imaging within 30 days of an abnormal mammogram,” noted study presenter Brittany Miles, MD, a third-year radiology resident at the Baylor University Medical Center.

In the 30-day period after negative mammography findings, the study authors noted that follow-up imaging was not obtained by 84.7 percent of women with adverse SDOH in contrast to 68.2 percent of those with no adverse SDOH. Researchers also pointed out an 0.438 hazard ratio for slower time to diagnostic imaging in patients with adverse SDOH.¹

“These findings reinforce that unmet social needs lead to delays in cancer care and demonstrate the value of structured EHR coding as a scalable method for health systems and training programs to identify patients at risk,” added Dr. Miles.

(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Study Reveals Disparities in Use of Follow-Up Diagnostic Services After Abnormal Mammography Findings,” “New Research Examines Socioeconomic Factors with Mammography No-Shows” and “A Closer Look at the Latest Updates to the NCCN Guidelines on Breast Cancer Screening.”)

Reference

1. Miles BL. Social risk and completion of diagnostic workup after abnormal screening mammography: a global, multicenter cohort. Presented at the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Symposium, April 16-19, 2026, Seattle. Available at: https://2026-sbi-symposium.eventscribe.net/ .