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Published on: August 30, 2013
Establishing a histologic basis for false-negative mammograms
A B Hollingsworth1, L D Taylor, D C Rhodes
1Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190.
American Journal of Surgery
|December 1, 1993
Summary
Diffuse histology in breast cancer is a key reason for false-negative mammograms. This infiltrative pattern, particularly in invasive lobular carcinoma, challenges mammography
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Mammography is a primary screening tool for breast cancer.
- False-negative mammograms can delay diagnosis and treatment.
- Understanding reasons for false negatives is crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the histological characteristics of breast cancers that resulted in false-negative mammograms.
- To identify specific tumor patterns contributing to mammographic screening failures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 264 breast cancer patients.
- Identification of 100 patients with palpable cancers imaged within 6 months of biopsy.
- Histological analysis of six cases initially read as negative mammograms.
Main Results:
- Five of six false-negative cases exhibited a diffusely infiltrative histological pattern.
- These included invasive lobular carcinomas and multifocal invasive ductal carcinomas.
- Severe mammographic breast density was not a consistent factor in these false-negative cases.
Conclusions:
- Diffuse histological patterns are a significant cause of false-negative mammograms.
- The reliance of mammography on anatomic contrast limits its ability to detect infiltrative cancers.
- Improved adjunct imaging techniques are needed to overcome limitations of mammography for detecting diffuse breast cancers.
