Do Reader Characteristics Affect Diagnostic Efficacy in Screening Mammography? A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Assessing reader characteristics is crucial for optimizing diagnostic efficacy in screening mammography.
• Understanding factors influencing radiologist performance can enhance early cancer detection.

Approach:

• A systematic literature search was performed across major databases (Cochrane, Scopus, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed).
• Twenty-eight studies assessing reader performance in screening mammography interpretation were reviewed.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies evaluating reader performance with a reference standard in English.

Key Points:

• Increasing reader age correlated with lower false positive rates; gender showed no performance association.
• High annual reading volume was linked to increased sensitivity, cancer detection rates (CDR), and lower recall/false positive rates.
• Specialization in breast imaging was associated with improved CDR, sensitivity, and specificity, though fellowship training showed inconsistent results.

Conclusions:

• No single characteristic guarantees versatile diagnostic efficacy in mammography interpretation.
• High reading volume and breast imaging specialization appear key for enhancing sensitivity and CDR without compromising other performance metrics.