Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mammograms? Much ado about not much, apparently...

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine once again has debunked the exaggerated benefits that mammograms produce. Not much, apparently. Have to screen 2500 women over 10 years just to avoid one death. This is not even considering the numbers of unnecessary screening, false positives and needless surgeries.

But I am not surprised.

When mammograms were first introduced, it was really difficult for anyone to refute the arguments that more screenings mean more lives saved. Of course in the process, more sales of mammography machines, more money to screening clinics and more money to breast surgeons. All happy, of course.... except the women who had to undergo needless breast surgeries. They were a small price to pay for the peace of minds of everyone else, apparently.

So now we know.

2 comments:

auntielucia said...

Actually, I've been told that mammos aren't definitive and anything suspicious needs the comfirmation of an ultrasound. So if they don't corroborate and if there aren't other symptoms, the usual recommendation is to monitor with perhaps another round of mammo n ultrasound in 3 mths. repeat this enough times and one may well n truly stir up the growth of cells tt refuse to die!

gigamole said...

It's called keeping the wheels of commerce turning.....