Cumulative probability of false-positive recall or biopsy recommendation after 10 years of screening mammography: a cohort study
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Annual mammography screening leads to over 50% false-positive recalls within 10 years. Biennial screening reduces false positives but may slightly increase late-stage cancer diagnosis risk.
Area Of Science
- Radiology and Imaging
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background
- False-positive mammography results are a common concern in breast cancer screening.
- Annual screening may increase false-positive rates over time, while biennial screening might delay cancer diagnosis.
Purpose Of The Study
- To compare the cumulative probability of false-positive results from annual versus biennial mammography screening over 10 years.
- To assess the impact of screening frequency on the stage distribution of incident breast cancer.
Main Methods
- Prospective cohort study involving 169,456 women aged 40-59 undergoing mammography.
- Analysis of false-positive recalls and biopsy recommendations across 7 mammography registries.
- Comparison of outcomes between annual and biennial screening intervals over a 10-year period.
Main Results
- After 10 years, annual screening yielded a 61.3% cumulative false-positive recall rate versus 41.6% for biennial screening.
- Cumulative false-positive biopsy recommendations were 7.0% for annual and 4.8% for biennial screening.
- Biennial screening showed a non-statistically significant trend towards a small increase in late-stage cancer diagnosis.
Conclusions
- Annual mammography screening over 10 years results in a high cumulative probability of false-positive recalls and biopsy recommendations.
- Biennial screening significantly reduces the likelihood of false-positive results.
- While biennial screening appears safer regarding false positives, a potential slight increase in late-stage cancer detection warrants consideration.