Test sensitivity of mammography and mean sojourn time over 40 years of breast cancer screening in Nijmegen (The Netherlands)

Objectives We investigated whether changes in mammographic technique and screening policy have improved mammographic sensitivity, and elongated the mean sojourn time, since the introduction of biennial breast cancer screening in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1975. Methods Maximum likelihood estimation, non-linear regression, and Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation were used to estimate test sensitivity, mean sojourn time, and underlying breast cancer incidence in four time periods, covering 40 years of breast cancer screening in Nijmegen (1975-2012). Results Maximum likelihood estimation gener... Mehr ...