Women with normal mammography describing symptoms at screening

A retrospective study from May 1989 to June 1995 identified 4327 women with symptoms and normal mammography, from a total population of 139 852. The women with symptoms were divided into two groups: those who had been recalled for assessment, because of potentially significant symptoms, and those who had not. Out of 448 women recalled for assessment with significant symptoms, 8 malignancies were detected and 8 benign biopsies were performed. Review of the remaining 3879 women with symptoms showed that 4 had developed interval cancers in the same breast as the symptoms described at the previous screening attendance. No cancer was detected at subsequent screening examinations. This review shows that breast cancer is so uncommon in women attending for screening with symptoms that a policy of only recalling women with significant symptoms is justifiable.