The effectiveness of breast cancer screening has been called into question, BBC News reports.

Despite claims by the NHS that early screening does save lives, researchers believe that mammograms "may cause more harm than good", nurse managers or those with doctors jobs may be interested to learn.

The announcement has prompted a review into the procedure by cancer 'tsar', Professor Sir Mike Richards.

It has emerged that although screening has detected cancer in 1,400 women every year since it was introduced in 1988, there are also many "false positives" where someone healthy is misdiagnosed.

Researchers analysed clinical trials involving 600,000 women and found that, over a ten year period, one life in 2,000 would be saved.

Worryingly, it showed that ten healthy women would undergo unnecessary treatment and a further 200 would "face psychological distress for many months because of false positive results."

The results have prompted the scientific community to wonder whether breast screening is actually a good thing.

Professor Richards has also ordered the rewriting of NHS leaflets on mammograms so that they more clearly spell out the potential risks to the public as well as the benefits.

The Telegraph cited Professor Richards' assurances as published in the British Medial Journal, insisting that he is "fully committed" to the public being given acceptable information.

"Should the independent review conclude that the balance of harms outweighs the benefits of breast screening, I will have no hesitation in referring the findings to the UK National Screening Committee and the ministers."