 |
| English: Breast cancer incidence by age in women in the United Kingdom 2006-2008. Reference: Excel chart for Figure 1.1: Breast Cancer (C50), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates, UK, 2006-2008 at Breast cancer - UK incidence statistics at Cancer Research UK. Section updated 18/07/11. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
 |
| Age-standardised death rates from Breast cancer by country (per 100,000 inhabitants). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Screening
with mammography uses X-ray to try to find breast cancer before a lump
can be felt. The goal is to treat cancer early, when a cure is more
likely. The review includes seven trials that involved 600,000 women who
were randomly assigned to receive screening mammograms or not. The
review found that screening for breast cancer likely reduces breast
cancer mortality, but the magnitude of the effect is uncertain.
Screening will also result in some women getting a cancer diagnosis even
though their cancer would not have led to death or sickness. Currently,
it is not possible to tell which women these are, and they are
therefore likely to have breasts or lumps removed and to receive
radiotherapy unnecessarily. The review estimated that screening leads to
a reduction in breast cancer mortality of 15% and to 30% overdiagnosis
and overtreatment. This means that for every 2000 women invited for
screening throughout 10 years, one will have her life prolonged. In
addition, 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed if there
had not been screening, will be diagnosed as breast cancer patients and
will be treated unnecessarily. Furthermore, more than 200 women will
experience important psychological distress for many months because of
false positive findings.
It is thus not clear whether screening does more good than harm. Women invited to screening should be fully informed of both the benefits and harms. To help ensure that the requirements for informed consent for women contemplating whether or not to attend a screening program can be met, we have written an evidence-based leaflet for lay people that is available in several languages on www.cochrane.dk.
It is thus not clear whether screening does more good than harm. Women invited to screening should be fully informed of both the benefits and harms. To help ensure that the requirements for informed consent for women contemplating whether or not to attend a screening program can be met, we have written an evidence-based leaflet for lay people that is available in several languages on www.cochrane.dk.
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario
Write here your comment