Every year, thousands of women will find a suspicious lump and then get a diagnostic mammogram to take a closer look. Their lives can depend on the results.

A new study says the accuracy of the results of diagnostic mammograms depends on who reads them.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, looked at how well 123 radiologists interpreted nearly 36,000 diagnostic mammograms.

The radiologists were located across the U.S., and, it seems, they had very different rates of accuracy.

In fact, the ability to accurately detect cancer ranged from 100 percent to just 27 percent accuracy. False-positives ranged from 0 to 16 percent.

So why the differences?

"In this study it does show that when you have a majority of your time spent doing breast imaging and you have a lot of experience doing so, and maybe even some specialized training it, you do have a better sensitivity in catching these cancers," said Dr. Alice Rim, Cleveland Clinic

The most accurate were radiologists based at academic medical centers, who spent much of their time reading breast images. But unlike in Europe, here in the U.S., most mammograms are interpreted by general radiologists... Ones who do everything.

The research team suggests more training and urges women to seek out imaging specialists. But doctors say the study in no way suggests women skip mammograms.

"Please don't take this as message to not get your mammogram," said Dr. Rim.

In fact, it may give patients even more reasons to get regular screening mammograms before there's a problem to diagnose.

Again, this study looked at diagnostic mammograms. Those done in women who had some symptom. Most mammograms are done to screen women with no symptoms and those results can vary as well. But doctors say regular screening mammography after age 40 is still the best tool in fighting breast cancer.