Negative
What does an assessment of “Negative” mean?
An assessment of negative means that there are no clinically significant findings indicative of abnormalities. According to the Mammography Quality Standards Act, benign assessments can also be qualified as negative (U.S. Food & Drug Administration).
What are the BI-RADS classifications relating to a negative assessment?
The BI-RADS classifications that relate to a negative assessment are BI-RADS 1- Negative and 2- Benign.
What outcomes in the medical audit relate to a “negative” assessment?
Outcomes relating to a “negative” assessment are True Negative, False Negative, and Specificity. According to Funaro et al., a True Negative is when there is “no known tissue diagnosis of breast cancer within 1 year of a negative examination”. A False Negative is when there is “tissue diagnosis of cancer within 1 year of a negative examination”. Specificity is “the probability of a negative examination when cancer does not exist” (Funaro et al., 2021).
What is the difference between a “Negative” and a “Benign” assessment?
While a benign finding can be qualified as negative, there are differences regarding classifications within the BI-RADS system. A negative assessment means that the interpreting physician has found no abnormalities. A benign assessment means that the interpreting physician found something when assessing the patient, but the finding was not cancerous. In other words, the benign finding was negative for cancer.
What is the recommended follow-up for individuals who receive a “negative” assessment outcome?
The BI-RADS Atlas recommends routine mammography screenings (typically once a year) for individuals with a “negative” assessment outcome.
Sources:
BreastCancer. (n.d.). Mammogram Results: Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS). https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/results
Funaro, Kimberly, et al. (2021). Understanding the Mammography Audit. Radiologic Clinics of North America vol. 59,1 (2021): 41–55. doi:10.1016/j.rcl.2020.09.009
Sickles, EA, D'Orsi CJ, Bassett LW, et al. (2013). ACR Bl-RADS Mammography. In: ACR Bl-RADS Atlas, Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. American College of Radiology. https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Reporting-and-Data-Systems/Bi-Rads#Mammography
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (n.d.). Mammography Quality Standards Act Regulations. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/regulations-mqsa/mammography-quality-standards-act-regulations#s90011