SCREENING for breast cancer may cause more harm than good, researchers claim.

A study carried out by health analysts at the University of Southampton found that the practice has led to women having unnecessary surgery and treatment, while false results have helped overstate the case for its success.

Research by James Raftery, professor of health technology assessment, and research fellow Maria Chorozoglou, has shown the harms of screening outweigh its benefits up to eight years later.

Their work, published today in the British Medical Journal, found the positive effects claimed for the proactive approach to breast cancer screening in the report that led to its introduction in the UK were twice as high as is actually the case.

Professor Raftery said the vast majority of women undergoing surgery to remove a suspected cancer did not actually need the treatment.

He said: “There are lots of women who have had surgery who believe their lives were saved when in fact only around one in ten have had their life saved.”