23 Aug Breast Cancer Screening: Risk of False-Positive Results

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Solveig Hofvind, PhD
Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Majorstua 0403, Oslo, Norway
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Hofvind: We find that if 100 women aged 50 years attend the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program as recommended, every two years until they are 69 years, four women will undergo a needle biopsy with benign outcome (a false positive needle biopsy).

In the same group of women, twenty women will be recalled for further examination and have additional imaging, ultrasound, and/or a biopsy with negative outcome (a false positive screening result).

MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Hofvind: The results are an agreement with findings from European screening programs, but the cumulative risk is substantial lower as reported from the U.S.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Hofvind: False positive screening results are not a substantial harm in mammographic screening, as performed in Norway and most European countries.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Hofvind: We need to investigate the risk of cancer in women who have a false positive screening results. Do they run a higher or lower risk of breast cancer?

Citation:

Roman, M., Hubbard, R. A., Sebuodegard, S., Miglioretti, D. L., Castells, X. and Hofvind, S. (2013), The cumulative risk of false-positive results in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program: Updated results. Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.28320

Last Updated on August 24, 2013 by Marie Benz MD FAAD