Available evidence suggests women with false-positive mammograms less likely to return for screening

Commentary on: Bond M, Pavey T, Welch K, et al.. Systematic review of the psychological consequences of false-positive screening mammograms. Health Technol Assess 2013;17:1–170. Implications for practice and research More research is needed to understand the implications of the distress reported by women following false-positive mammograms. Anxiety after a false-positive mammogram may affect women differently, among some women, exhibiting proactive health behaviours and others exhibiting avoidant behaviours. Brief interventions should seek to reduce distress and encourage continued cancer prevention activities. Context Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and mammograms are offered to women aged between 47 and 73 years every 3 years to screen for breast cancer. Women with abnormal mammograms are recalled for further assessment. When a woman is recalled but no breast cancer is discovered, the mammogram is often referred to as a ‘false-positive’....
Source: Evidence-Based Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Stroke, Reproductive medicine, Breast cancer, Prevention, Screening (oncology), Surgical diagnostic tests, General surgery, Screening (public health) Women ' s health Source Type: research