Fears Linger From False Positive Mammograms

Scares from false positive mammograms can leave long-lasting fears according to a new study.

FOX News Radio’s Bill Vitka reports:

When mammograms detect breast cancer early they are life-savers.?But they can lead to false alarms that take a heavy psychological toll.

A Danish study of more than 1,300 women finds that those who got false positive results reported anxiety and depression; symptoms that lingered three years later, long after cancer was ruled out.

It is a life crisis, on a par with divorce or the death of someone in the family.?And it happens much more than you might think.

The risk of a false positive varies from one country to another.?In the United States the risk of false positive ranges from 20% to 60%.

Bill Vitka, FOX News Radio.