Long-term risk of false-positive screening results and subsequent biopsy as a function of mammography use.

Full Abstract

PURPOSE:
To retrospectively determine the long-term risk of false-positive mammographic assessments and to evaluate the effect of screening regularity on the risk of false-positive events.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Institutional review board approval was obtained, and informed consent was waived. Retrospective analysis was performed for the occurrence of false-positive assessments among 83,511 women who underwent 314,185 mammographic examinations from January 1, 1985, to February 19, 2002. Data were collected from a database that had been assembled prospectively. Two categories of false-positive events were examined:
biopsies that did not reveal cancer and false-positive mammographic assessments. Rates of false-positive events were compared by using a chi2 analysis, and 95% confidence limits were calculated. Because comparisons of multiple pairs were considered, all P values that demonstrated statistical significance exceeded the requirement of the Bonferroni correction.

RESULTS:
While the overall rates of biopsies that did not reveal cancer and of false-positive mammographic assessments were similar to those found in other studies, most of the burden of false-positive events was borne by women who underwent intermittent screening. Long-term rates of false-positive events were lower among women who underwent regular screening than among those who underwent intermittent screening. In the 5-year group, 2.9% of women who underwent five mammographic examinations over the next 5 years had biopsy results that did not reveal cancer, whereas 4.6% of women who underwent three mammographic examinations over the next 5 years had biopsy results that did not reveal cancer. For women who underwent regular screening, the risk of undergoing biopsies that did not reveal cancer declined over time to 0.25% per year after several years of screening, a value that is lower than the risk of these events among women who did not undergo screening. The rate of false-positive mammographic assessments was also lower for women who underwent regular screening than for those who underwent intermittent screening.

CONCLUSION:
Prompt annual attendance for mammographic screening reduces the occurrence of false-positive mammographic results.RSNA, 2006

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Author information

Author/s: Blanchard, Karen (K); Colbert, James A (JA); Kopans, Daniel B (DB); Moore, Richard (R); Halpern, Elkan F (EF); Hughes, Kevin S (KS); Smith, Barbara L (BL); Tanabe, Kenneth K (KK); Michaelson, James S (JS);

Affiliation: Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey 7939, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Radiology (Radiology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 240 (issue 2) : pp 335-42

Dates: Created 2006/07/25; Completed 2006/08/31; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16864665, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Biopsy
Breast Neoplasms - pathology; radiography
Chi-Square Distribution
False Positive Reactions
Female

Humans
Mammography - standards
Mass Screening - methods
Predictive Value of Tests
Retrospective Studies
Risk

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