European guidelines on breast cancer screening and diagnosis

After mammography screening, if you need further assessment, what test should be used?

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) rather than mammography, as suggested by the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group (GDG).

• You do not have a high risk of developing breast cancer
• You had a mammogram or other screening test and the results were unclear
• You were recalled for further assessment following this unclear result

It might be important to speak with your healthcare professional about the unclear results of your mammogram or other screening test.

You may also wish to speak about:

• why unclear results in mammograms occur
• how DBT is performed
• your comfort during the tests
• the chances of an incorrect diagnosis or finding cancer
• what happens after

When using DBT, more women are correctly diagnosed and fewer are told they have breast cancer when in reality they do not.

The GDG noted that the costs of DBT would be higher and that the availability of the equipment and specialist training varies between countries.