Breast cancer detection risk in screening mammography after a false-positive result

Castells, Xavier; Román, Marta; Romero, Anabel; Blanch, Jordi; Zubizarreta, Raquel; Ascunce, Nieves; Salas, Dolores; Burón, Andrea; Sala i Serra, Maria; Cumulative False Positive Risk Group

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2012.10.004

Breast cancer detection risk in screening mammography after a false-positive result

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Castells X, Román M, Romero A, Blanch J, Zubizarreta R, Ascunce N, et al. Breast cancer detection risk in screening mammography after a false-positive result. Cancer Epidemiol. 2013 Feb;37(1):85-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2012.10.004

Abstract

Background: False-positives are a major concern in breast cancer screening. However, false-positives have been little evaluated as a prognostic factor for cancer detection. Our aim was to evaluate the association of false-positive results with the cancer detection risk in subsequent screening participations over a 17-year period. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 762,506 women aged 45-69 years, with at least two screening participations, who underwent 2,594,146 screening mammograms from 1990 to 2006. Multilevel discrete-time hazard models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (OR) of breast cancer detection in subsequent screening participations in women with false-positive results. Results: False-positives involving a fine-needle aspiration cytology or a biopsy had a higher cancer detection risk than those involving additional imaging procedures alone (OR = 2.69; 95%CI: 2.28-3.16 and OR = 1.81; 95%CI: 1.70-1.94, respectively). The risk of cancer detection increased substantially if women with cytology or biopsy had a familial history of breast cancer (OR = 4.64; 95%CI: 3.23-6.66). Other factors associated with an increased cancer detection risk were age 65-69 years (OR = 1.84; 95%CI: 1.67-2.03), non-attendance at the previous screening invitation (OR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.11-1.43), and having undergone a previous benign biopsy outside the screening program (OR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.13-1.35). Conclusion: Women with a false-positive test have an increased risk of cancer detection in subsequent screening participations, especially those with a false-positive result involving cytology or biopsy. Understanding the factors behind this association could provide valuable information to increase the effectiveness of breast cancer screening.