Study Reveals Alarming Rate, High Costs of Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis

A recent study published in the journal Health Affairs has revealed the alarmingly high rate at which breast cancer misdiagnosis is occurring due to mammograms producing false positives. According to this research, patients who are in fact healthy are being erroneously diagnosed with breast cancer approximately 11% of the time, resulting in healthcare spending totaling upwards of $4 billion every year.

Nearly 3.2 million patients per year are impacted by these medical misdiagnoses, causing many to call commonly accepted cancer screening protocols into question.

Study raises doubts about cancer screening

The study itself reviewed spending data culled from over 702,000 female patients covered by health insurance. Researchers found that the true cost of overdiagnosis of breast cancer and false positives was substantially higher than previously believed. The $4 billion figure cited in the published report pertains to the expenses incurred as a result of erroneous mammogram results and overdiagnosis of cancer in women ranging in age from 40-59.

According to the researchers responsible for the study, those expenses are so elevated that they may lead many to conclude that widespread or expanded breast cancer screening may actually be cost-ineffective. In the end, they assert, this could prompt experts to revise existing recommendations related to the age at which patients should be receiving regular mammograms.

Debate about screening protocols continues

The revelations about the financial costs of cancer misdiagnoses come at a time when breast cancer screening practices are the subject of continued debate. According to the American Cancer Society, women should seek annual screenings starting at the age of 40, while the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force calls for screenings every two years in females aged 50-74. The latter recommendation, which is currently undergoing review and possible revision, includes a statement that women under the age of 50 should make an individual assessment about mammography that balances potential risks and benefits of such screenings.

Given the frequently life-threatening nature of breast cancer and its status as the number-two cause of cancer fatalities in the United States, it should come as no surprise that mammography screening is widespread among women ages 40-59 in particular. However, it should be noted that mammograms produce a comparatively high rate of false positives, often yielding overtreatment, costly (and ultimately unnecessary) medical testing and mental or psychological distress to patients and families alike. According to the study’s lead authors, the likelihood that a women will be asked to subject herself to additional diagnostic workups following a false-positive mammography result nears 61 percent over a 10-year span of routine screenings.

The scientists behind this recent research are quick to emphasize that women who locate breast lumps should never hesitate to seek prompt diagnostic and medical attention. However, they also wish to underscore the potential risks of overdetection and the list of harms stemming therefrom.

Cancer misdiagnosis responsible for physical, emotional harm

For most individuals, it is necessary to defer to the training and expertise of medical professionals when attempting to get to the bottom of a suspected health crisis. Unfortunately, even the most knowledgeable healthcare providers can make mistakes, and the resulting misdiagnosis, false positive or failure to diagnose an existing illness can prove extremely serious.

In addition to being costly from a financial perspective, diagnostic errors can result in lasting physical harm, including exacerbation of a latent illness, fatal delays in treatment and injury caused by unnecessary medication. In addition, the emotional and psychological toll of false positives, particularly with regard to cancer, can be truly devastating.

Some of the most common reasons for errors of this sort include:

• Misreading of lab work
• Failure to order appropriate diagnostic workups
• Failure to consider patient’s full medical history
• Failure to follow up/monitor patient’s condition
• Lack of effective communication among care providers
• Medical understaffing

Though the authors of the breast cancer screening study are urging women to carefully weigh the pros and cons of routine screening in order to make an individualized assessment of their own needs, others argue that while certainly imperfect, mammography remains a critical tool in early detection and effective treatment of a potentially fatal disease.

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