A study by Taylor-Phillips et al published in Radiology reports that double reading of mammography screening studies increases the number of cancers detected and reduces recalls.
The authors conducted a retrospective analysis, 805 206 women who were evaluated through screening and diagnostic studies at 33 English breast centers.
The first reader recalled (4.76%; 38 295 of 805 206 women). Two readers recalled 6.19% of women in total (49 857 of 805 206 women) but arbitration of discordant readings reduced the recall rate to 4.08%. A total of 7055 cancers were detected, of which 627 or 8.89% were detected by the second reader only. These additional cancers were more likely to be ductal carcinoma in situ 30.5%; (183 of 600 vs. 22.0%; 1344 of 6114, and additional invasive cancers were smaller (mean size, 14.2 vs. 16.7 mm), had fewer involved nodes, and were likely to be lower grade.
The authors concluded that double reading with arbitration reduces recall rates and increases cancer detection compared with single reading.
