Quality of Life After a False Positive Mammogram
Author Information
Author(s): I.T. Gram, E. Lund, S.E. Slenker
Primary Institution: Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromso
Hypothesis
How do women perceive the impact of a false positive mammogram on their quality of life?
Conclusion
Most women with a false positive mammogram regard the experience as a minor stressor and report similar quality of life as those with negative results.
Supporting Evidence
- 29% of women with false positive results reported anxiety about breast cancer.
- 98% of women with false positive results would attend another screening.
- Women with false positive results reported the same quality of life as those with negative results.
Takeaway
If a woman gets a false alarm from a breast cancer test, she usually feels okay about it later and would still want to get tested again.
Methodology
Women with false positive mammograms were interviewed and their responses compared to women with negative results.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the attitudes of interviewers and the self-selection of participants.
Limitations
The study may have selection bias as only women who agreed to interviews were included.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 40 or older, with a sample size of 126 for the study group and 152 for the reference group.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
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