By Stephen Beech via SWNS
False-positive mammograms are putting women off breast cancer screening, warns a new study.
But false positives are “all the more reason” to keep on schedule with mammograms, say scientists.
Early detection of breast cancer through screening continues to save lives.
But abnormal findings on mammograms can lead to women being recalled for further imaging and biopsies, many of which turn out to be “false positives” – meaning they do not result in a cancer diagnosis.
False positives can also cause “significant” emotional anxiety, say researchers.
Now a major American study has found that women who received a false-positive result that required additional imaging or biopsy were less likely to return for that follow-up screening.
The research involved the analysis of data from more than 3.5 million screening mammograms across the United States performed between 2005 and 2017 on more than one million patients aged 40 to 73.
Lead author Dr. Diana Miglioretti, chief of the Division of Biostatistics at University of California, Davis, said: “The finding raises concerns about the potential unintended consequence of false-positive results, where women may avoid screening mammograms in the future.”
The findings, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, showed that 77% of women with a negative result from a mammogram returned for subsequent screening.
But the percentage fell to 61% after a false-positive finding requiring another mammogram in six months to confirm the results and 67% if a biopsy was recommended.
The impact was even more pronounced for women who received false-positive results on two consecutive mammograms recommending short-interval follow-up—only 56% returned for their next screening mammogram.
The research team said that the high rate of women who don’t return for future screening is “concerning.”
Dr. Miglioretti said: “It is important for women with false-positive results to continue screening every one to two years.
“Having a false-positive result, especially if it results in a diagnosis of benign breast disease, is associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the future.”
She said false-positive results are common, especially among younger women. They occur in 10% to 12% of mammograms in women aged 40 to 49.
After 10 years of annual screenings, 50% to 60% of women can expect at least one false-positive and 7% to 12% at least one false-positive with a biopsy recommendation.
Dr. Miglioretti said: “It’s important to understand that most women recalled for additional imaging due to a finding on a screening mammogram do not have breast cancer.”
She added: “They should try not to be worried if they are recalled for additional work-up. it is a normal and common part of the screening process.”
Dr. Miglioretti says it is important for women to understand that around 10% of the time, further imaging is necessary to get a better look at a finding on a screening mammogram.
She advised that women who feel anxious while waiting for their screening results might consider requesting an on-the-spot interpretation of their mammogram.
Dr. Miglioretti added that it is also important for doctors to carefully explain false-positive results to their patients to reassure them that the result was negative and stress the importance of continued screening.
