Breast Cancer - Screening

Suspicious Mammograms Are Often False Alarms
Women at high risk for breast cancer are virtually guaranteed to receive a false-positive or "suspicious" mammography result at least once during 10 years of routine screening, reveals a Boston University School of Public Health study, which found that cysts or swollen glands were often the cause for confusion. Researchers say the use of estrogen therapy, a lack of previous X-rays (to compare results), a family history of breast cancer, age factors, and varying levels of skill among radiologists can all increase a woman's risk of having an abnormal result.

If more women knew how common false-positive results are, there might be less stress and anxiety while waiting to undergo further diagnostic tests, which sometimes take weeks. Most importantly, greater educational initiatives focusing on the role of diet and lifestyle in breast cancer prevention would empower women to protect themselves rather than relying solely on early detection of the disease.

Christiansen CF, Wang L, Barton MB, et al. Predicting the cumulative risk of false-positive mammograms. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:1657-66.

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