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Mammograms may overdiagnose up to 1 in 4 breast cancers, Harvard study finds

By Deborah Kotz

 |  Globe Staff  

  April 02, 2012

Getting regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer can reduce a woman’s likelihood of dying from the disease, but 15 to 25 percent of invasive cancers detected on the X-rays never would have turned life-threatening, according to a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors, from the Harvard School of Public, Norway, and Sweden, say women should be aware of this possibility before deciding whether to get screened.

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