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| Scientists at Harvard University studied 16 million women and found a significant number of 'false positives' cases where women were wrongly diagnosed with cancer (file image) |
Fresh doubts over breast cancer tests: Harvard finds routine screening fails to cut deaths
by Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent for the Daily Mail, 6 July 2014
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- Study of 16 million women casts doubts on the benefits of screening
- Data suggests routine mammograms in women of a certain age is leading to significant numbers of 'false positives'
- Leads to some women having unnecessary but gruelling chemotherapy
- In the UK women aged 50 to 70 are invited for mammogram every 3 years
A Harvard study of 16 million women has cast doubt on the benefits of routinely offering breast cancer screening.
The data suggests that routine screening is leading to significant numbers of ‘false positives’ – in which women are wrongly told they might have breast cancer when, in fact, they do not.
Other women might undergo gruelling chemotherapy to treat small, slow-growing tumours which might never have troubled them if they lived on in ignorance.
- Data suggests routine mammograms in women of a certain age is leading to significant numbers of 'false positives'
- Leads to some women having unnecessary but gruelling chemotherapy
- In the UK women aged 50 to 70 are invited for mammogram every 3 years
A Harvard study of 16 million women has cast doubt on the benefits of routinely offering breast cancer screening.
The data suggests that routine screening is leading to significant numbers of ‘false positives’ – in which women are wrongly told they might have breast cancer when, in fact, they do not.
Other women might undergo gruelling chemotherapy to treat small, slow-growing tumours which might never have troubled them if they lived on in ignorance.