Breast-Cancer Tumor Size, Overdiagnosis, and Mammography Screening Effectiveness

New England Journal of Medicine, October 2016, Full Article Here

CONCLUSIONS

“Although the rate of detection of large tumors fell after the introduction of screening mammography, the more favorable size distribution was primarily the result of the additional detection of small tumors. Women were more likely to have breast cancer that was overdiagnosed than to have earlier detection of a tumor that was destined to become large. The reduction in breast cancer mortality after the implementation of screening mammography was predominantly the result of improved systemic therapy.”

”Systemic therapy” = drug therapy, including chemotherapy