A  new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine titled, Long-term psychosocial consequences of false-positive screening mammography, brings to the forefront a major under-reported harm of breast screening programs: the very real and lasting trauma associated with a false-positive diagnosis of breast cancer.[1]

 

The study found that women with false-positive diagnoses of breast cancer, even three years after being declared free of cancer, “consistently reported greater negative psychosocial consequences compared with women who had normal findings in all 12 psychosocial outcomes.”

 

The psychosocial and existential parameters adversely affected were:

Sense of dejection Anxiety Negative impact on behavior Negative impact on sleep Degree of breast self-examination Negative impact on sexuality Feeling of attractiveness Ability to keep ‘mind off things’ Worries about breast cancer Inner calm Social network Existential values