Some Mammograms May Detect Harmless Breast Cancer
Although some forms of breast cancer detected by mammograms are not a cause for worry, mammograms are still essential.
But, he added, "in a clinical context, we can't distinguish between lethal and harmless cancers."
Overdiagnosis, described as the detection of cancers that would not cause any problems during a person's lifetime, has been reported with other cancers as well, notably prostate cancer.
Bleicher also said that he looked at the Danish study "with a bit of a skeptical eye, based on how it was performed and on the reality of how we care for patients."
The researchers, from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, combined the findings of studies that spanned 14 years -- seven years before public, or free, screening programs were started in five different regions and seven years after the programs were in place.
The regions included were the United Kingdom; Manitoba, Canada; New South Wales, Australia; Sweden; and parts of Norway.
They found an estimated overdiagnosis rate of 52 percent for all cancers, including in situ malignancies, which have not spread, and an overdiagnosis rate of 35 percent for invasive breast cancer. The study also detected a jump in incidence rates after the introduction of the screening programs.
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Yes, it is true that mammograms have been helpful in detecting breast cancer. However, I am a bit unsure of its effectiveness in curing the cancer.
Kathy
http://www.caring.com/breast-cancer