While there are benefits of mammography screening, it is also important to be aware of the potential harms of this type of screening. The most serious harm is overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis is when a woman is diagnosed with, and receives treatment for, breast cancer that would not become a threat during her lifetime.

The most common potential harm of mammography screening is a false-positive test result. A false positive is a test result suggesting that a woman has breast cancer when she does not. False-positive results often lead to additional follow-up procedures to confirm a true diagnosis, some of which are invasive (such as breast biopsy). While some women don’t mind the anxiety that often accompanies a false-positive mammogram, others