Controversies in mammography

Concerns about screening mammography include questions of efficacy, high recall rates, false positives, and age at which to institute annual screening. Annual screening mammography can decrease breast cancer mortality by 45% in women over fifty and 23% in women between forty and fifty years of age. Patient recall rates and accuracy of interpretation vary among radiologists. Suggestions for improving accuracy of mammographic interpretation include continuing education with emphasis on quality of interpretation, computer-assisted detection, double reading, increased volume per reader, and performance-related skills testing. Having fewer radiologists reading more mammograms may result in decreased patient access to mammography services. Poor reimbursement for mammography and high prevalence of breast cancer-related litigation are disincentives for radiologists to provide mammography services; these issues must be addressed to ensure patient access to mammography. The public must be educated so that reasonable expectations on the benefits and limitations of mammography will develop.