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Benchmarks for Abnormal Diagnostic Mammography Interpretations from 1996 - 2005 by Indication for Examination*

	Work-Up of Abnormal Screening Examination	Short-Interval Follow-Up	Evaluation of Breast Problem/ No Lump or Lump Unknown	Evaluation of Breast Problem/ Palpable Lump	All Diagnostic Examinations^†
Abnormal interpretation rate (AIR)‡	14.9%	4.0%	6.2%	13.3%	9.6%
Readers with 10+ examinations	540	516	547	522	648
Abnormal interpretations	27,754	5,936	10,588	13,893	58,369
All examinations	186,090	147,519	170,998	104,784	611,154
AIR (Median - 50th percentile)	14.4	3.8	5.9	13.0	9.5
AIR (25th, 75th percentiles)	10.4, 20.0	2.0, 6.3	3.1, 9.3	9.0, 18.2	6.7, 12.8
AIR (10th, 90th percentiles)	7.3, 26.9	0.0, 10.0	0.0, 13.5	5.7, 25.0	4.0, 17.0
PPV₁ (abnormal interpretation)^§	27.4%	22.2%	30.8%	44.1%	31.4%
Readers with 10+ abnormal interpretations	363	182	207	293	474
Cancers	7,392	1,112	2,911	5,695	18,140
Abnormal interpretations	27,006	5,005	9,460	12,926	57,707
AIR (Median - 50th percentile)	25.0	21.4	31.4	45.5	30.2
PPV₁ (25th, 75th percentiles)	16.8, 32.5	14.3, 30.0	22.6, 42.9	33.3, 55.0	22.2, 38.6
PPV₁ (10th, 90th percentiles)	11.8, 42.1	7.5, 37.5	15.4, 50.0	25.0, 66.7	17.0, 47.1
PPV₂ (biopsy recommended)^\|\|	27.2%	22.3%	30.9%	43.7%	31.2%
Readers with 10+ biopsy recommended	353	173	202	287	466
Cancers	7,014	1,064	2,720	5,159	16,982
Abnormal interpretations	25,831	4,767	8,809	11,809	54,456
AIR (Median - 50th percentile)	25.0	21.4	31.3	45.5	30.7
PPV₂ (25th, 75th percentiles)	17.0, 32.5	14.3, 30.0	23.1, 42.3	33.3, 55.8	22.6, 38.9
PPV₂ (10th, 90th percentiles)	11.8, 41.7	6.7, 39.1	16.3, 51.3	25.0, 66.7	17.2, 47.8
PPV₃ (biopsy performed)^#	31.1%	27.3%	36.1%	49.1%	35.9%
Readers with 10+ biopsy performed	303	138	140	224	404
Cancers	6,205	937	2,169	4,155	14,693
Abnormal interpretations	19,958	3,432	6,009	8,459	40,948
AIR (Median - 50th percentile)	30.0	27.1	37.2	52.9	35.9
PPV₃ (25th, 75th percentiles)	20.3, 38.2	18.8, 35.6	27.0, 50.0	40.0, 64.7	26.8, 45.6
PPV₃ (10th, 90th percentiles)	14.3, 47.4	10.3, 47.1	20.0, 59.7	30.0, 73.9	18.5, 57.3

Note: 23,653 (5.2%) examinations were given an initial BI-RADS assessment of zero. The first non-zero assessment within 180 days was used as the final assessment for analysis. Examinations without a non-zero assessment within 180 days were excluded (N=7,943; 1.7%).

^* Includes examinations for radiologists who interpreted at least 10 cases in a given column; excludes examinations for which the radiologist is unknown.

^† The number of radiologists in this column does not equal the sum of radiologists in the other column because a given radiologist may contribute to each of the preceding columns, but may contribute to this column only once.

^‡ Abnormal interpretation rate = The percentage of examinations interpreted as suspicious or highly suggestive of malignancy (BI-RADS category 4 or 5).

^§ PPV₁ = The percentage of examinations with an abnormal interpretation that results in a tissue diagnosis of cancer within 1 year.

^|| PPV₂ = The percentage of examinations with an abnormal interpretation and a recommendation for biopsy or surgical consultation that results in a tissue diagnosis of cancer within 1 year.

^# PPV₃ = The percentage of known biopsies performed as a result of an abnormal interpretation with a recommendation for biopsy or surgical consultation that results in a tissue diagnosis of cancer within 1 year.

The following source must be cited when reproducing this table: NCI-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium co-operative agreement (U01CA63740, U01CA86076, U01CA86082, U01CA63736, U01CA70013, U01CA69976, U01CA63731, U01CA70040). Downloaded xx/xx/xx from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium Web site - http://breastscreening.cancer.gov/data/benchmarks/diagnostic/table5.html

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