Choosing Wisely: 5 Procedures to Avoid in Benign Breast Disease

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS

The American Society of Breast Surgeons has released a list of five procedures or tests clinicians should avoid in the setting of benign breast disease. The list is part of the American Board of Internal Medicine's Choosing Wisely campaign.

Here are the five:

• Biopsy-proven fibroadenomas smaller than 2 cm should not be routinely removed.

• Breast abscess should not be managed surgically unless an initial attempt to aspirate or drain it percutaneously fails.

• Asymptomatic women with normal clinical breast exams and a life expectancy under 5 years should not receive screening mammography.

• Fluid-filled, simple breast cysts that are not painful should not be drained routinely.

• Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast should not be excised routinely in patients without symptoms.