Managing False-Positive Screening Results & Callbacks

This page is for anyone who has been called back after a cancer screening test. It explains what the next steps often are and how to get through the wait.

Most people are told some version of "we saw something and we want another look." That means the screening test could not settle the question. It does not mean a cancer was found. NCI says most people who are called back after a mammogram are not found to have breast cancer.

The numbers are larger than most people expect.

• Mammography, recall for more imaging. Among women screened every year for 10 years, the chance of at least one false-positive recall is 49.6% with 3-D mammography (digital breast tomosynthesis). It is 56.3% with standard 2-D mammography. With screening every other year, the figures are 35.7% and 38.1%.
• Mammography, biopsy. With yearly screening, the 10-year chance of a biopsy recommendation that does not find cancer is 11.2% with 3-D and 11.7% with 2-D. With screening every other year, it is 6.6% and 6.7%.
• Callbacks. ACS says fewer than 1 in 10 women called back for more tests are found to have cancer.
• Lung CT screening. In an analysis of the National Lung Screening Trial, the false-positive rate at the first scan was 26.6%. When the newer Lung-RADS system was applied after the fact, it was 12.8%. Sensitivity also fell, from 93.5% to 84.9%.

False positives are more common when you are younger and when your breast tissue is dense. NCI also lists earlier breast biopsies, a family history of breast cancer, and estrogen use. ACS says callbacks are more common after a first mammogram, or when there are no earlier mammograms to compare.

ACS lists these common reasons:

• The pictures were not clear, or did not show some of your breast tissue.
• The radiologist saw something suspicious, such as calcifications or a mass.
• The radiologist saw an area that looks different from the rest of the breast.

Sometimes more pictures of an area, or more compression, show that it no longer looks suspicious. ACS says the extra images most often show the finding is not cancer. A callback is a request for more information. It is not a diagnosis.

Mammogram reports use BI-RADS categories. NCI explains that these give radiologists a consistent way to report findings, along with the recommended follow-up. The categories run from 0 ("need additional imaging evaluation") to 6 ("known biopsy-proven malignancy").

A category of 0 usually means you come back for more images. Other categories lead to other plans, which can include a repeat image later or a biopsy. Ask your team which category you were given and what the plan is, and why.

• Positive stool test (FIT, FIT-DNA, gFOBT). CDC says a colonoscopy is needed to complete the screening process. It lets doctors examine the whole colon and remove polyps or cancers that may be there.
• Positive HPV test. NCI notes that abnormal cervical screening can lead to further exams such as colposcopy, a closer look at the cervix. Which step comes next depends on your results, so ask your team.
• Lung screening CT. NCI says an abnormal result may be followed by more tests, such as a biopsy. Many abnormal results turn out not to be cancer.
• Elevated PSA. NCI says the next step is often another PSA test in 6 to 8 weeks to confirm the result. PSA levels can rise for short periods, for example with prostate infection or inflammation, a recent biopsy, vigorous exercise such as cycling, or ejaculation. If it stays high, doctors may order more tests, including MRI, and may suggest a biopsy.

When the call comes, ask what was seen, what the next test is, and when it will happen. Then ask who calls you with the result and by what date. If that date passes, call.

If earlier mammograms or scans were done elsewhere, ask whether having them sent to the new center would help.

CDC says most health insurance covers colorectal cancer screening tests without a deductible or copay. Follow-up care can be handled differently, so ask your plan and the scheduler how the follow-up will be billed before the appointment.

For Original Medicare, Medicare.gov says a follow-up colonoscopy after a positive stool-based or blood-based test is covered. If a polyp is removed, you pay 15% of the Medicare-approved amount for the provider's services. In a hospital outpatient department or surgery center, a 15% facility coinsurance also applies. The Part B deductible does not apply. For Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

The gap between "we saw something" and "here is what it is" is hard, and most of it is out of your hands. Here is what is in your hands:

• Know the date the result is due.
• Bring someone to the appointment or to the phone call.
• Write your questions down in advance.

If the finding turns out to be nothing, the trip was not wasted. Follow-up testing exists to answer exactly this question.

USPSTF lists anxiety and breast cancer-specific worry as harms of false-positive results. ACS says it is normal to worry or have strong emotions while you wait, especially after a first mammogram that was not normal. ACS also says most breast changes are not cancer.

Things that may help:

• Ask that earlier images be sent to the center. ACS says callbacks are more common when there is nothing earlier to compare.
• Talk with a loved one, a counselor, or other people who were called back. ACS says this might help.
• Call the ACS helpline at 1-800-227-2345, any time of day or night.

It does not mean screening failed you. It does not mean you should stop on your own. USPSTF recommends a screening mammogram every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74. That advice does not cover people at very high risk, such as those with a BRCA variant. USPSTF says screening every 2 years has a more favorable balance of benefits and harms than screening every year. A clinician who knows your history can help you choose an interval and a test.

Checked on 2026-10-02:

• NCI - Mammograms fact sheet (BI-RADS, callbacks)
• NCI - PSA test fact sheet
• NCI - Cervical cancer screening
• NCI - Lung cancer screening (patient version)
• CDC - Colorectal cancer screening
• Medicare.gov - Colonoscopies
• USPSTF — Breast Cancer: Screening (final recommendation, 2024)
• Cumulative Probability of False-Positive Results After 10 Years of Screening With DBT vs Digital Mammography (JAMA Network Open, 2022)
• Pinsky et al., Performance of Lung-RADS in the National Lung Screening Trial (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2015)
• National Cancer Institute — Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ)
• National Cancer Institute — Cancer Screening Overview (PDQ)
• American Cancer Society — Getting Called Back After a Mammogram