Breast cancer screenings may decline for women who receive false-positive test results, says study
Fox News
High rates of false positives may be keeping women from sticking to recommended mammogram screenings for breast cancer, a new study has found. Experts weigh in.
Women who received a true-negative result were more likely to return for future screenings, with a 77% compliance rate. "Approximately 10% of screening mammograms require diagnostic work-up, and most women called back for further imaging do not have breast cancer." "A false positive — particularly if it leads to a diagnosis of benign breast disease — is associated with a small increase in developing breast cancer in the future." Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
By comparison, among those who received a false positive, only 61% returned for another mammogram in six months, and 67% returned for a recommended biopsy. (A false positive occurs when a mammogram shows an abnormal result that is investigated further, but does not lead to a cancer diagnosis.)