Mammography is a tool designed to diagnose breast cancer detection of what others would be, that should lead to earlier, better and more effective treatment. Well, that is the theory anyway. But as in the case of many things, theory is not always gently translated into practice.There have been some doubt now growing years on the value of the charges that have been made by some researchers mamografía.Dos is mammography really is not very effective in saving lives and at the same time leads to more women to be submitted to the research and treatment for breast that would have never been a problem if left alone.
And it has been a critical, that women generally not have been fully informed about the pros and cons of the mamografía.Esto means that most women have simply not received the opportunity to make truly informed decisions on whether or not a mammogram. For more information about issues with mammography, see here and here.
This week saw the publication of a study that sought to measure the effectiveness of mammography. The study, published in the New England Journal of medicine, assessed the results of more than 40,000 women with breast cancer.Access detection partnered with one of 28 percent reduction in the risk of dying of mama.Los cancer results from this looks quite good in the face of it. However, breast cancer is a condition for treatments have improved quite considerably in recent times.This means that at least some of the benefits associated with the mammogram can come from improvements in the treatment of breast cancer that have coincided with the mammography screening.
This study found that women who were not revised, breast cancer mortality fell considerably demasiado.Resulta that only about one-third of the of 28 percent reduction in the risk of death associated with mammography was pressured to mammography per is. In other words, this study found mammography was associated with reduced risk of death from around 10 per cent breast cancer.
10 percent might sound worth the penalty, but how big the real benefits are dependent on how likely that women are dying of breast cancer.If, say, risk for a woman to die from breast cancer for a period of 10 years is 10 percent, then mammography (according to this study) is expected to reduce this to 9 per cent (reduction of 1 per cent).
An editorial companion [2] puts the actual figures in some perspective.If 2,500 women older than 50 were reviewed with mammography, ONE will only prevent the possibility of dying of breast cancer.Now, many of these women (many as 1000) will have to bear the potential of being told by his doctors stress that there is something suspicious on your mamograma.Y more than 500 of these will have a biopsy - an invasive procedure, around which there are usually significant result ansiedad.Como biopsy, it is estimated that 5 and 15 women between are treated unnecessarily to a condition that was never going to bother them.
While the mammography has still burning support in some sectors, mounting evidence suggests really less beneficial and more dangerous is that women have been trafficked believe.
Out of curiosity recently asked my mother 77 years of age (a retired doctor) If you ever had a mammogram. «»No, she replied, and in a manner that said 'what I want to to do that?'.Perhaps the mothers know best, sometimes.
References:
1 Kalager M, et to the.effect of screening mammography in mortality from breast cancer in Noruega.N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 1203-1210
2 Welch HG. what mammography screening - A Long Run for a slide of the Short? N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 1276-1278
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Published on September 24, 2010.Filed under: health policy, health of women and foodRSS comments – TrackBack
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