Overtreatment For Breast Cancer Costs $4B Annually, Study Finds
The research, published in the journal Health Affairs, examines the costs associated with mammograms that generate false alarms and treatment of tumors unlikely to cause problems.
The Associated Press:
Study: Breast Cancer Overtreatment Costs US $4B A Year
Sharpening a medical debate about the costs and benefits of cancer screening, a new report estimates that the U.S. spends $4 billion a year on unnecessary medical costs due to mammograms that generate false alarms, and on treatment of certain breast tumors unlikely to cause problems. The study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs breaks the cost down as follows: $2.8 billion resulting from false-positive mammograms and another $1.2 billion attributed to breast cancer overdiagnosis. That's the treatment of tumors that grow slowly or not at all, and are unlikely to develop into life-threatening disease during a woman's lifetime. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/6)
Politico Pro:
Study: $4B Spent On Problematic Breast Cancer Diagnoses
Americans are spending more than $4 billion a year misdiagnosing breast cancer or overdiagnosing the disease, according to a new study in Health Affairs. (Mershon, 4/6)
NBC News:
What's The Breast Cancer Fight Costing Us?
False-positive mammograms, which suggest a woman has breast cancer when she actually doesn't, cost the nation $4 billion a year, new research shows. And a second study, also released Monday, shows that new treatments for women who really do have breast cancer may cost more, but they are helping them survive longer than older treatments. (Fox, 4/6)