What Women Need To Know About Mammograms And Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis

A new article published int eh Huffington Post discusses new research suggesting better treatment and not earlier detection with mammography may be the reason why death rates from Breast Cnacer have been on the decline.

"Better treatment and not earlier detection with screening mammography may be the reason rates of death from breast cancer have declined in recent years, according to controversial results from a large U.S. database study.

In addition, the research team reports in The New England Journal of Medicine, “women were more likely to have breast cancer that was overdiagnosed than to have earlier detection of a tumor that was destined to become large.”

“This new article will not change our guidelines,” said Dr. Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer at the American Cancer Society, who was not involved in the new research. It is simply showing a trend, which is “the weakest form of evidence,” he said.

The American Cancer Society’s guidelines call for women to consider having a mammogram at age 40, to actually have one each year beginning at age 45 and then, at age 55, to consider having one every other year. Wender said other medical groups have made similar recommendations."

To Read the full article, click HERE.