Recall and detection rates in screening mammography.
BACKGROUND
The authors investigated the correlation between recall and detection rates in a group of 10 radiologists who had read a high volume of screening mammograms in an academic institution.


METHODS
Practice-related and outcome-related databases of verified cases were used to compute recall rates and tumor detection rates for a group of 10 Mammography Quality Standard Act (MQSA)-certified radiologists who interpreted a total of 98,668 screening mammograms during the years 2000, 2001, and 2002. The relation between recall and detection rates for these individuals was investigated using parametric Pearson (r) and nonparametric Spearman (rho) correlation coefficients. The effect of the volume of mammograms interpreted by individual radiologists was assessed using partial correlations controlling for total reading volumes.


RESULTS
A wide variability of recall rates (range, 7.7-17.2%) and detection rates (range, 2.6-5.4 per 1000 mammograms) was observed in the current study. A statistically significant correlation (P < 0.05) between recall and detection rates was observed in this group of 10 experienced radiologists. The results remained significant (P < 0.05) after accounting for the volume of mammograms interpreted by each radiologist.


CONCLUSIONS
Optimal performance in screening mammography should be evaluated quantitatively. The general pressure to reduce recall rates through "practice guidelines" to below a fixed level for all radiologists should be assessed carefully.
Gur
David
D
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh and Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. gurd@msx.upmc.edu
Sumkin
Jules H
JH
Hardesty
Lara A
LA
Clearfield
Ronald J
RJ
Cohen
Cathy S
CS
Ganott
Marie A
MA
Hakim
Christiane M
CM
Harris
Kathleen M
KM
Poller
William R
WR
Shah
Ratan
R
Wallace
Luisa P
LP
Rockette
Howard E
HE
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D015588:Observer Variation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011871:Radiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity