New findings published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention suggest that women who receive a false positive mammogram or biopsy have an increased risk of developing breast cancer over the next 10 years.
For their study, researchers examined more than two million mammograms nationwide from women between the age of 40 and 74. After looking at data over the course of 10 years, researchers uncovered that women with a false positive test had a 39 percent increased risk for breast cancer development within the next decade. Additionally, among women with a false positive result who were referred for biopsy, the relative cancer risk was 76 percent greater.
While the statistic might sound concerning, researchers want the public to know that the absolute increase in risk remained low, around one percent, said lead author Louise M. Henderson.
“While any increase in risk is worrisome, we don’t want women to be overly concerned, because the absolute risk is small. Instead, we want women to think about this as another risk factor, and talk about it with their physicians.”
False Positive Study Takeaways
During their analysis, researchers noted that women who had a false positive screen were no more likely than those women whose tests came back negative to undergo additional screenings. Researchers wrote that a false positive test could be considered a risk factor for cancer development, and thus women who receive a false positive should consider additional screenings in the coming years.
Researchers don’t know exactly how the false positive test correlates to an increased risk of future cancer development, but they believe the study results show that one exists.
Related source: New York Times
