Compare the contrast
Recently I wrote to you about mammograms, and their high rate of inconclusive results. Now a new study shows that those worrisome call-backs can be reduced significantly if current mammogram films are compared with prior results.
For the study, 12 experienced screening radiologists studied 160 mammograms; half of them were from women who later developed breast cancer, while the other half had normal or benign readings.
They found that when the radiologists did not have prior mammograms for comparison, they noted many more suspicious findings. Those non-conclusive findings lead to repeated mammograms and sometimes to unnecessary biopsies, which can be painful and problematic. But when the radiologists could compare prior mammograms with the current results, they had 44 percent fewer suspicious findings.
As all imaging technology moves into the digital world, this issue will take care of itself. But in the meantime, women who get regular mammograms are encouraged to visit the same radiologist each year, or to ensure that their records are transferred to their new radiologist when they switch.
