The researchers' interest in performing the study stemmed from the concerns and anxiety expressed by patients over abnormal screening results.
Additional testing can be stressful, time-consuming, and costly.
Earlier research had shown that, nationally, about one mammogram in 10 produces a false positive. The study found that one woman in two will receive a false-positive result after having annual mammograms for a decade, and almost 20 percent of women will undergo a biopsy. The study also indicates that almost 25 percent of women will have a false positive at some point in 10 years of clinical breast exams. The study was conducted at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a large health maintenance organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School. There's a high chance of a woman having an alarming false-positive episode.