The National Health Service breast screening programme (NHSBSP) was introduced in 1988 with the
aim to decrease the incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer (1). Mammography is the primary
diagnostic tool of the NHSBP and is offered to women every 3 years (2). Originally screening was
available to woman aged 50-64, this was extended to 50-70 in 2003. In England a further extension
to the screening age is being rolled out (47-73, (1). The extension of the effective age bracket makes
it vital that that the programme is effective. ,This report will evaluate the cost of implementation,
the radiation dose and psychological factor effecting the participants in the NHSBSP. The report will
also discuss the development of equipment …show more content…
367
3) The psychological impact of screening; include discussion of false positives and false
negatives, unnecessary interventions and barriers to patients taking up screening
It has been demonstrated that false positives have a short-term effect on women’s anxiety and
cancer fears - see Tyndel et al. (18). This study measured women’s cancer worries one month prior
to mammographic screening as again at one month and six months post screening. They found at 1-
month post screening women who had received all clear had significantly lower levels of cancer
worry compared to recalled women. However, at the 6 month questionnaire there was no significant
difference between cancer worry levels. However, Meta-analysis has illustrated that false positives
can influence a patient’s likelihood to return for screening at a later point by either increasing or
decreasing that chance. It also suggests that false positives may increase the chance of breast self-
examination (19), which may increase detection of interval cancers (20)
620028819 PAM2006
False positives may be recalled for biopsy. Thematic analysis of women’s experiences
aim to decrease the incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer (1). Mammography is the primary
diagnostic tool of the NHSBP and is offered to women every 3 years (2). Originally screening was
available to woman aged 50-64, this was extended to 50-70 in 2003. In England a further extension
to the screening age is being rolled out (47-73, (1). The extension of the effective age bracket makes
it vital that that the programme is effective. ,This report will evaluate the cost of implementation,
the radiation dose and psychological factor effecting the participants in the NHSBSP. The report will
also discuss the development of equipment …show more content…
367
3) The psychological impact of screening; include discussion of false positives and false
negatives, unnecessary interventions and barriers to patients taking up screening
It has been demonstrated that false positives have a short-term effect on women’s anxiety and
cancer fears - see Tyndel et al. (18). This study measured women’s cancer worries one month prior
to mammographic screening as again at one month and six months post screening. They found at 1-
month post screening women who had received all clear had significantly lower levels of cancer
worry compared to recalled women. However, at the 6 month questionnaire there was no significant
difference between cancer worry levels. However, Meta-analysis has illustrated that false positives
can influence a patient’s likelihood to return for screening at a later point by either increasing or
decreasing that chance. It also suggests that false positives may increase the chance of breast self-
examination (19), which may increase detection of interval cancers (20)
620028819 PAM2006
False positives may be recalled for biopsy. Thematic analysis of women’s experiences