False Positive Value of Computer-Aided Detection in Full Field Digital Mammography in Detection of Breast Malignancy

Objective: The aim of this study is to estimate the false-positive rate of computer-aided detection (CAD) with fullfield digital mammography (FFDM) in the detection of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the period from February, 2013 until September, 2014. It included 659 patients who presented to the radiology department for mammography. Full-field digital mammography (FFDM), three-dimensional breast tomosynthesis and computer-aided detection (CAD) were done for all patients. The patients had breast ultrasound +/MR Mammography, with special attention to the sites of CAD suspicious lesions. Follow up protocol was done for the selected patients. Results: From the 659 patients included in the study, 56 patients, with 70 lesions, had false positive findings of malignancy on CAD, giving a false positive rate of 8%. These cases had suspicious lesions on CAD not detected on further investigations. The results of the follow up of all patients showed no newly developed suspicious lesions. Conclusion: The false positive rate of a CAD system in detection of breast malignancy was introduced in this study. As per the available data, example the effect of breast density on false positive CAD scores helped the radiologists in our hospital to dismiss most of the false CAD marks with more confidence with no need for further investigation. However, if CAD marks were hard to dismiss, further investigation by ultrasound +/MR mammography was advisable.