Lower screening mammography recall rates are associated with higher rates of breast cancers detected between screenings, or interval cancers, according to a new study in Radiology.
Researchers analyzed 5,126,689 screening episodes, or the period during which a set of breast screening activities for an eligible woman takes place, from 84 screening facilities in the U.K. National Health Service Breast Screening Program (NHSBSP). Data were drawn from a 36-month period with a three-year follow-up in women ages 50 to 70 years.
Recall for additional testing after mammography is an important safeguard against missing invasive breast cancers, but the practice carries costs, including patient anxiety and additional expenses to the healthcare system. In order to minimize these costs, breast cancer screening programs routinely specify maximum recall rates after screening mammography.
Read the full article at: http://www.rsna.org/news.aspx?id=23961