When mammograms lead to more testing, it doesn’t
mean automatic bad news

For some women, the time between a callback and additional tests can be terrifying.

Mammogram callbacks are common — about 10 out of every 100 women are told they need more imaging after an initial screening, according to the American College of Radiology — but can be scary, especially if you have to wait for an appointment. The vast majority of the callbacks, however, turn out to be false alarms, according to the American Cancer Society. Fewer than 1 in 10 women who return for more imaging have cancer.

“Callbacks happen frequently and with good reason, because we want to be sure,” says Karen E. Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “Most of the time, nothing is wrong. But if you get a callback, make the appointment.” Still, for some women, the time between a callback and additional tests can be terrifying. “The stress is profound. I have been there,” Knudsen says of her own callback in January 2023. Hers required a biopsy, which found she did not have breast cancer, she says, but “I do understand firsthand the stress. You don’t think this will happen to you. I didn’t stay calm. I had to wait, which was nerve-racking. They did the biopsy right away, but it was another week before I got the results. Even knowing the odds, I found it very stressful.”

August 10, 2024