PERMS in Oslo and Vestre Viken

Who is an eligible participant in PERMS?

You are an eligible participant in PERMS in Oslo and Vestre Viken if you undergo an additional examination during the study period and are not diagnosed with breast cancer. You will receive information and an invitation to the study in the following ways:

1. In the appointment letter for the additional examination. Here, you receive the first information about the PERMS study and your right to opt out of receiving an invitation. We strongly encourage you to attend the additional examination if you have been summoned, regardless of whether you wish to participate in the study or not.
2. In the invitation letter for a new mammogram, one year after your original screening examination. You only receive this letter if you were not diagnosed with breast cancer at the additional examination and you did not opt out of being invited to the study. 

The study period in Vestre Viken began in December 2025. 

The study period in Oslo started in April 2026.

Why are you invited to PERMS?

Women in Oslo and Vestre Viken who have received a "false alarm" after their screening examination are invited to an extra screening examination with mammography after one year.

A "false alarm" means undergoing additional examinations without being diagnosed with breast cancer. In medical terms, this is called a false positive screening result. Studies have shown that those who have had such a false alarm have a slightly higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer later compared to women who have not been called in for additional examinations.

For women who have had a "false alarm", it may therefore be beneficial to have a new mammogram after one year. This extra examination can help detect any breast cancer earlier, which increases the possibility of effective treatment.

What does participation mean for you?

If you choose to participate in the PERMS study and attend the extra screening examination after one year, you will be asked to provide written consent at your appointment.

• The extra mammography examination is conducted in the same way as a regular screening
• You can go home after the examination
• You will receive results within two to four weeks, just as you would normally
• The examination has a copayment of 387 NOK, and you cover your own travel costs

If additional examinations and further follow-up are needed, these will occur according to standard procedures.

Brief information about PERMS

Purpose

In the study, we offer extra examinations to specific groups of women in order to find out

• how many will take advantage of such an offer
• the outcomes of the extra examination  

Knowledge from this study will be used to further develop the screening programme for women in the Mammography Programme.

Benefits and drawbacks

• Having a new mammogram after one year can improve the chances of early detection of any breast cancer. In general, early detection of breast cancer can lead to more gentle treatment, better quality of life, and fewer deaths from the disease than if it is discovered due to symptoms.
• An extra mammogram can result in another "false alarm", which can cause worry and anxiety. It is also known that breast cancer can be missed on mammograms.
• Breast cancer may be detected that would not have caused symptoms and would not have been found without screening participation, known as over-diagnosis. Today, it is not possible to distinguish such tumors from those that would cause symptoms. Therefore, all women diagnosed with breast cancer are offered treatment.
• Mammography is an X-ray examination of the breasts. Some find mammography uncomfortable or painful when the breast is compressed for a few seconds during imaging. Please let the radiographers know if you experience discomfort.
• Mammography uses ionizing radiation, and annual examinations mean a higher radiation dose compared to mammography every two years. However, the dose is very low, and the risk of developing breast cancer from screening is minimal. 

Privacy and your rights

Participation in the study is voluntary. You can opt out of having information from your additional examination used to invite you to an extra screening examination. Even if you do not opt out, it is voluntary to attend the extra examination. Regardless of your participation in the study, you will receive a new invitation to the Mammography Programme in two years if you are still within the target group.

Not participating, or if you later wish to withdraw from the study, will have no consequences for future invitations or participation in the Mammography Programme. You will not be charged a copayment if you do not attend. You have the right to access the information stored about you in the study, and demand corrections or deletions in accordance with the provisions of the Health Research Act and the General Data Protection Regulation. 

If you choose to participate in the study, you will be asked to give your written consent when you attend the extra examination. 

We process your personal data based on public interest (General Data Protection Regulation 6.1.e and 9.2.j). 

The Regional Ethics Committee (REK) has approved the study (REK #585149). 

• Read more about the PERMS study

Contact information

The Cancer Registry at FHI is the coordinating institution responsible for research. If you have questions regarding the study, you can contact the senior advisor at the Cancer Registry, FHI, Gunvor Gipling Wåde.