TUESDAY, Sept. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A significant number of women stop getting regular mammograms after being frightened by a “false positive” scan that incorrectly suggests they have breast cancer, a new study finds.

About 77% of women return for a regular mammogram after a negative result that shows they’re clearly cancer-free, researchers reported Sept. 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

But that percentage drops to 61% if a woman receives a false-positive reading, which requires a follow-up mammogram to rule out or verify breast cancer.

What’s more, only 56% of women who receive false-positive results on two consecutive mammograms returned for regular screenings.

Researchers also found that only 67% of women returned for routine mammography if a false-positive reading requires a biopsy to rule out cancer.

“The finding raises concerns about the potential unintended consequence of false-positive results, where women may avoid screening mammograms in the future,” said lead investigator Diana Miglioretti, chief of the University of California, Davis' Division of Biostatistics.

It’s crucial that women get their regularly scheduled mammogram, especially if they have a false-positive scare, Miglioretti stressed.

“It is important for women with false-positive results to continue screening every one to two years,” Miglioretti said in a university news release. “Having a false-positive result, especially if it results in a diagnosis of benign breast disease, is associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the future.”

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 3.5 million screening mammograms conducted in the United States between 2005 and 2017, involving more than 1 million women ages 40 to 73.

About 10% of the time, additional imaging is needed to get a better look at an abnormal finding on a screening mammogram, researchers said in background notes.

After 10 years of annual screenings, 50% to 60% of women can expect at least one false-positive, and 7% to 12% a false positive with a biopsy recommendation.

Any abnormal result from a mammogram causes understandable anxiety and concern, researchers said. 

“It’s important to understand that most women recalled for additional imaging due to a finding on a screening mammogram do not have breast cancer,” Miglioretti said. “They should try not to be worried if they are recalled for additional work-up. it is a normal and common part of the screening process.”

Asian and Hispanic woman were the least likely to return for mammograms following a false positive result, researchers found.

Women who are anxious about waiting for a mammogram result can request an on-the-spot interpretation of their scan, Miglioretti said. Some imaging facilities provide this service along with a same-day diagnostic work-up if there’s an abnormal finding.

Doctors also need to do a better job counseling patients following a false positive result, Miglioretti added.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on mammograms.

SOURCE: University of California, Davis, news release, Sept. 2, 2024