Why is Mammography Not 100% Accurate?
It is estimated that mammograms can detect approximately 85-90% of all breast cancers. While the vast majority of abnormalities are detected by mammography, there are some that are simply not detectable. Sometimes an irregularity goes undetected because surrounding breast tissue is the same density as the irregular tissue. The goal of mammography is to try to identify women who have breast cancer but are unaware of it (asymptomatic women). If a patient has a lump or other change and the mammogram is “negative” (interpreted as not suspicious or cancerous), the patient should pursue that finding further with her doctor. In some cases, a lump that is not suspicious on a mammogram may be followed up with clinical breast exam or a follow-up mammogram in six months instead of the normal twelve.
