Re-attendance after false-positive screening mammography: a population-based study in the Netherlands

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Public Health
• Oncology

Background:

• False-positive mammography results can impact patient adherence to screening programs.
• Understanding long-term adherence is crucial for evaluating screening program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate mammography adherence in women following a false-positive referral.
• To assess the likelihood of women undergoing surveillance mammography outside the national screening program.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 424,703 screening mammograms.
• Inclusion of data from 3463 women with false-positive referrals, including imaging, biopsy, and surgery reports.
• Evaluation of screening adherence both within and outside the national program.

Main Results:

• Two years post-referral, overall adherence was 94.6%, with 64.7% returning to the national program (vs. 94.9% after a negative screen).
• Four years post-referral, adherence decreased to 85.2%, with 20.8% undergoing clinical surveillance mammography.
• Women with initial false-positive screens showed lower adherence (92.4%) compared to those with later abnormal findings (95.5%).

Conclusions:

• Mammography adherence after a false-positive referral is comparable to negative screens at 2 years but declines by 4 years.
• A significant proportion of women opt for clinical surveillance mammography after a false-positive result.
• Emphasizing re-attendance for future screening rounds is vital to enhance overall program effectiveness.