Perceived sensitivity of mammographic screening: women's views on test accuracy and financial compensation for missed cancers

Objectives-To estimate women's expectations of the accuracy of screening ma mmography and to explore attitudes towards compensation for missed cancers. Design-Cross sectional survey (by telephone). Setting-Australia; population-based survey conducted in April 1996. Participants-Random sample of women aged 30-69 years. A total of 2935 women completed the Breast Health Survey (adjusted response rate 65%). A random sample of 115 completed this sub-survey on perceived sensitivity of mammogr aphic screening and compensation for missed cancers. Results-About one third of women (32.2%, 95% CI 23.7, 40.7) had an unrealis tically high expectation of the sensitivity of screening mammography, repor ting it to be 95% or higher. Approximately 40% of the women (43.5%, 95% CI 34.4, 52.6) thought that screening mammography should pick up all cancers ( should have a sensitivity of 100%). Just under half the women (45.2%, 95% C I 36.1, 54.3) said financial compensation should be awarded for a cancer mi ssed by screening mammography even if the cancer was missed as a consequenc e of the small failure rate of the test. Younger women living in metropolit an areas and women who had realistic expectations of the accuracy of the te sts were more likely to favour financial compensation. Conclusion-Unrealistically high expectations of the sensitivity of screenin g mammography were common in this group of women. Many women favoured finan cial compensation for missed cancers even if the cancer was missed solely b ecause of the failure rate of the rest. Public education is required to inf orm women of the limited sensitivity of breast cancer tests but this may no t reduce claims for financial compensation when cancers are missed.