Experiences of Recall After Mammography Screening—A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Women participating in biannual mammography screening for 20 years have a cumulative risk of 20% of being recalled. We conducted a prospective qualitative interview study with eight nonsymptomatic women recalled after mammography screening. These women expressed mixed emotions over being recalled. Information about recall rates and breast cancer risk was seen as alarming, and cancer risk estimates were seen by some as high. The short time between recall and examination was reassuring, but it was also perceived as an indication of malignancy. Despite distress from examinations, most of the women continued to want medical examinations to detect cancer early.

Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the Research Council of Norway and SINTEF Health Research Foundation. We cooperated with Dr. Agnes Østlie and her staff at the Breast Diagnostic Centre at St. Olav University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway.