That mammography screening can still identify early breast cancer was good news for women. On the other hand, the finding of an abnormal mammogram could lead to a woman being recalled for further imaging biopsies while many of these are “positive,” which means that they do not have cancer. But most importantly, false positives have a financial impact on a patient, not to mention the mental distress they cause.
Back to that follow-up screening came women who received a false-positive test, which requires further imaging or biopsy, a major new study from the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Centre identified.
The findings were published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine on 3 September. Data from about 3. More than 1 million female patients between 40 to 73 years of age under about 5 million screening mammograms were taken across the country from 2005 to 2017.
The lead author Diana Miglioretti, a researcher at UC Davis’s cancer center and head of the Division of Biostatistics, said that the finding raises questions about the adverse effect of false positive outcomes that does mean women may stop having mammograms for screening.
In the course of the study, it was noted that 77% of the women who underwent a negative mammography test made a repeat test. However, this was reduced to 61% if a follow up mammography was done after a false positive result which necessitated them to do a mammography in six months and it reduced to 67% if a biopsy was recommended. More profoundly demonstrated to be poor was exemplified in the return rate of 56% of the women who had false-positive results in two consecutive screening mammograms and advised to undergo a short-interval follow-up for a second screening mammography.
Women who receive false-positive outcomes should rescreen at one- to two-year intervals, according to Miglioretti. “Others are; Being Diagnosed with benign breast disease after receiving a false-positive outcomes increases the likelihood of a breast cancer diagnosis later in life,” she said. Such a result might even widen existing gaps in health care since the work also showed that Asian and Hispanic/Latinx women are the least likely to return for other screening mammograms.
In case the student gets a call back for further tests they should avoid getting worried. This is common in the screening process and most companies use it all the time. Women should also appreciate the fact that in about 10 percent of cases, more imaging is required in order to have a clearer picture of the screening mammography. According to Miglioretti on help those feeling anxious while waiting for the results of a screening mammography should ask for an immediate interpretation of the picture. Some of the facilities that offer this service are accompanied by same day diagnostic work up if something does not seem right.
As per her opinion, the doctors should ensure that the patients understand the report that has been falsely positive by explaining it to them that the test came out negative, but important to continue the screening.
Reference
Impact of False-Positives on Future Screening, Annals of Internal Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.7326/M24-0123Â
