overdiagnosis
noun
over·di·ag·no·sis ˌō-vər-ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-səs 
-əg-
: the diagnosis of a condition or disease more often than it is actually present
overdiagnose
ˌō-vər-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs
transitive verb -ˌnōz
-ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs
-ˈnōz
-əg-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web One is overdiagnosis: finding small tumors that would never have been noticed and may not have caused any harm. 
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 10 June 2022 And more news organizations are now reporting on the problem of overdiagnosis, although even these reports usually fail to caution that cancer screening is what leads to those diagnoses in the first place. David Ropeik, STAT, 28 Feb. 2022 Lead time and overdiagnosis can only increase survival statistics. H. Gilbert Welch, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 As a result, in 2012 the USPSTF—concerned about overdiagnosis and treatment of small, benign or slow-growing cancers—recommended against using prostate cancer screening for anyone. Melba Newsome, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2021 Guaranteeing that the benefits outweigh any harm from overdiagnosis, overtreatment, false results and complications. Yair Paska, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2021 Over-testing of asymptomatic men and women can lead to overdiagnosis (flagging of microtumors and other anomalies that never would have compromised health) and overtreatment. John Horgan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2021 Doctors have often dismissed and minimized patients’ concerns, and others have profited from overdiagnosis. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021 Barkley refuted the notion that there is widespread overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis with ADHD, asserting that research suggests up to 20% of children and 80% adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed. Rebecca Sohn, STAT, 14 Apr. 2021 See More
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 10 June 2022 And more news organizations are now reporting on the problem of overdiagnosis, although even these reports usually fail to caution that cancer screening is what leads to those diagnoses in the first place. David Ropeik, STAT, 28 Feb. 2022 Lead time and overdiagnosis can only increase survival statistics. H. Gilbert Welch, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 As a result, in 2012 the USPSTF—concerned about overdiagnosis and treatment of small, benign or slow-growing cancers—recommended against using prostate cancer screening for anyone. Melba Newsome, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2021 Guaranteeing that the benefits outweigh any harm from overdiagnosis, overtreatment, false results and complications. Yair Paska, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2021 Over-testing of asymptomatic men and women can lead to overdiagnosis (flagging of microtumors and other anomalies that never would have compromised health) and overtreatment. John Horgan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2021 Doctors have often dismissed and minimized patients’ concerns, and others have profited from overdiagnosis. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021 Barkley refuted the notion that there is widespread overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis with ADHD, asserting that research suggests up to 20% of children and 80% adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed. Rebecca Sohn, STAT, 14 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1971, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
overdiagnosis
noun
over·di·ag·no·sis -ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-səs, -əg-
plural overdiagnoses -ˌsēz
: the diagnosis of a condition or disease (as Lyme disease) more often than it is actually present