Breast Cancer Screening Benefits: Research and Controversies.

The debate regarding the efficacy of breast cancer screening with mammography has intensified since about 2009, as the literature has reported on benefits, harms, and effectiveness of the technology in breast cancer diagnosis. As a result, women and their referring clinicians have been confused by conflicting reports in medical journals and the media. This article provides an overview of research and methodology used to generate these reports and the effects of contradictory research, screening recommendation changes, and the controversy over mammography efficacy on patients and the public.