Comparison of the diagnostic workup of women referred at non-blinded or blinded double reading in a population-based screening mammography programme in the south of the Netherlands

Background: To determine whether referred women experience differences in diagnostic workup at non-blinded or blinded double reading of screening mammograms. Methods: We included a consecutive series of respectively 42.996 and 44.491 screens, double read either in a non-blinded or blinded manner between 2009 and 2011. This reading strategy was alternated on a monthly basis. Results: The overall ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) rate and stereotactic CNB (SCNB) rate per 1000 screens were higher at blinded than at non-blinded reading (7.5 vs 6.0, P =0.008 and 8.1 vs 6.6, P =0.009). Among women with benign workup, these rates were higher at blinded reading (2.6 vs 1.4, P