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Meta‐analyses of the effect of false‐positive mammograms on generic and specific psychosocial outcomes
Author(s) -
Salz Talya,
Richman Alice R.,
Brewer Noel T.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.1676
Subject(s) - medicine , meta analysis , false positive paradox , mammography , psychosocial , breast cancer , anxiety , distress , clinical psychology , cancer , psychiatry , statistics , mathematics
Objectives : 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 =20 781), 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. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.