Why Doctors Are Moving Away From Annual Mammograms…

When it comes to cancer, early detection often leads to better outcomes. It’s true that improvements in Mammographic technology and the increased rate at which women are getting screened is leading to the discovery of smaller cancers. That means that the more often and more thoroughly you screen for cancer, the better, right? When it comes to mammograms, many experts are beginning to say that’s not necessarily true.

Does This Actually Saving Lives? The Answer To That Question Might Surprise You

To investigate whether or not finding small otherwise non-detectable breast cancers saves lives, researchers dug into 10 years worth of data to be exact. They complied records from 16 million women ages 40 and older who received breast cancer screenings in 2000. A total of 53,207 women received a breast cancer diagnosis and had their progress tracked until December 2010.

Although the screenings turned up a 16% increase in cancers being found, the death rate from breast cancer didn’t change. Let me repeat that. Even though they found more tumors (that would otherwise never have been found), it did not save any lives. While 25% more small tumors were discovered, increased screenings detected only 7% more large tumors, the ones that are more likely to be dangerous.

Professor Of Medicine At The University of Washington,

Joann Elmore finding and treating these undetectable tumors can be harmful. She says, “Treatment of an over diagnosed tumor cannot provide benefit, but it can lead to harm. Over diagnosis and over treatment are now widely acknowledged to be an important harm of medical practice, including cancer screening.”

The increase of mammograms often detects precancerous abnormalities that may or may not turn into cancer down the road. Deciding how to address them can have high physical, mental, emotional, and financial costs. Even waiting on the results of a mammogram can be stressful and take an unnecessary toll on women.

This research suggests that if you’re in good health and don’t have a past history of breast cancer, you are better off just checking yourself. Tools like annual thermography, self examinations every month, and a doctor examination once a year.

Breast thermography is an up and coming technology that is much more comfortable than mammograms, doesn’t involve radiation or breast compression. Thermography finds the inflammation that can lead to cancer before it develops, and does not have the dangers that this study points out about mammograms.

Yours for better health,

Dr. Jack Belitz