Detection of breast cancer after biopsy for false-positive screening mammography. An increased risk?

Introduction: After false-positive screening for breast cancer, women are s till at risk of developing breast cancer. In this study the incidence of br east cancer in a group of women who had a false-positive outcome is compare d with the expected breast cancer incidence. Methods: Follow-up data of 188 women (mean age 58 years) with a false-posit ive screening result were collected and analysed for breast cancer developm ent. The mean length of follow-up in the study was 7.4 years. The occurrenc e of breast cancer was compared to the expected incidence of breast cancer in an age-matched control population using figures from the local cancer re gistration. Results: The occurrence of breast cancer in the study population (n=7) was not significantly different from the expected incidence of breast cancer in the age-matched control group (n = 5). Conclusion: There is no relationship between false-positive findings during breast cancer screening and later development of breast cancer. Patients w ho do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer (due to family history) should not be followed-up clinically, but should be returned to t he screening programme. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.