March 2022

Half of all women will experience at least one false positive mammogram over a decade of annual breast cancer screening with digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography), according to a new UC Davis Health-led study. A false positive is when a test incorrectly produces abnormal results, even though the patient does not have breast cancer. Dr. Diana Miglioretti, CHPR faculty member and professor and division chief of biostatistics at UC Davis Health’s Department of Public Health Sciences, was a senior author of the study published in Jama Network Open.

“Despite the important benefit of screening mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality, it can lead to extra imaging and biopsy procedures, financial and opportunity costs, and patient anxiety,” said Dr. Miglioretti. “Women shouldn’t be overly worried if recalled for additional imaging or biopsy. Most of these results are benign.”

Learn more from UC Davis Health: “Half of All Women Experience False Positive Mammograms After 10 Years of Annual Screenings.”