- AI
- Molecular Imaging
- CT
- X-Ray
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Facility Management
- Mammography
Economics of Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis and False Positives
Weighing the costs of breast cancer screening and the economic impact of false positives.
Breast cancer screening can save lives, but the economic impact of false-positive mammography results and breast cancer over-diagnosis must be discussed, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs.
The over-diagnosis rate for breast cancer varies, including 22% of all breast cancer screenings in Canada and 22% to 31% in the US, the authors wrote. However, not much is known about the associated economic cost. In this study, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School sought to determine these costs among women aged 40 to 59.
The researchers looked at the expenditure data for 12 months following diagnosis from a major US healthcare insurance plan for 702,154 women in this age group from 2011 to 2013.
Determined costs:
“This translates to a national cost of $4 billion each year,” the authors wrote. “The costs associated with false-positive mammograms and breast cancer over-diagnoses appear to be much higher than previously documented. Screening has the potential to save lives. However, the economic impact of false-positive mammography results and breast cancer overdiagnoses must be considered in the debate about the appropriate populations for screening.”
The authors concluded that this economic impact must be considered in the debate about the appropriate populations for screening.
Study: Mammography AI Leads to 29 Percent Increase in Breast Cancer Detection
February 5th 2025Use of the mammography AI software had a nearly equivalent false positive rate as unassisted radiologist interpretation and resulted in a 44 percent reduction in screen reading workload, according to findings from a randomized controlled trial involving over 105,000 women.
Can AI Bolster Breast Cancer Detection in DBT Screening?
January 16th 2025In sequential breast cancer screening with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), true positive examinations had more than double the AI case score of true negative examinations and the highest positive AI score changes from previous exams, according to new research.
