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December 13 , 2007 -
Recent reports claim that reading mammograms wrong is becoming more common for doctors.
Doctors throughout the country reportedly read an average of 2 in every 10 cases wrong.
Patients Receiving Wrong Diagnosis
According to researchers, a variation has been found in radiologists’ ability to breast cancer in X-rays.
In 7 out of 10 cases, the diagnoses were off, proving that the detection of cancer is strongly based on the doctor who is analyzing the X-ray.
Researchers also contribute the variation to the fact that more women now have breast implants, which make breast cancer even harder to detect.
Researches Conduct Study
123 radiologists were asked to interpret 36,000 diagnostic mammograms in a study conducted by a group of researchers.
“Women think mammography is perfect, so if they get a negative mammogram, they think they’re safe for at least the next year,” says the author of the study, Diana Miglioretti. “The reality is, they shouldn’t be falsely reassured by a negative mammogram.”
Although researchers claim breast augmentation surgery is generally safe, they recommend that patients speak with their surgeons regarding breast cancer risks before going under the knife.
The radiologists who were found to be the most accurate tended to be working from academic medical centers.
(Source: Chicago Tribune)
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