Meta-analyses of the effect of false-positive mammograms on generic and specific psychosocial outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
While a previous meta-analysis found that false-positive mammography results affect women's likelihood of returning for screening, effects on well being have yet to be meta-analyzed. We investigated whether the effects of false-positive mammograms on women's well-being are limited to outcomes specific to breast cancer.


METHODS
We searched MEDLINE for studies of the psychosocial effects of false-positive results of routine screening mammography. We pooled effect sizes using random effects meta-analysis.


RESULTS
Across 17 studies (n=20781), receiving a false-positive mammogram the result was associated with differences in all eight breast-cancer-specific outcomes that we examined. These included greater anxiety and distress about breast cancer as well as more frequent breast self-exams and higher perceived effectiveness of screening mammography. False positives were associated with only one of six generic outcomes (i.e. generalized anxiety), and this effect size was small.


CONCLUSIONS
False-positive mammograms influenced women's well-being, but the effects were limited to breast-cancer-specific outcomes. Researchers should include disease-specific measures in future studies of the consequences of false-positive mammograms.
Salz
Talya
T
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY 10021, USA. salzt@mskcc.org
Richman
Alice R
AR
Brewer
Noel T
NT
D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors