Are Mammograms Effective?

Are A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that mammograms do a good job of detecting new, small cancers but have had "a small effect on the rate of death from breast cancer." mammograms That means many cancers are treated that would never have caused harm. Others say even a small decrease in the effective? death rate is worth it. The arguments on both sides: Mammograms are effective Mammograms aren't completely effective or more of all .of all tumor 50% new, small cancers in the last 30 years have been found 33% diagnoses led to overtreatment in 2008 using mammograms New England Journal of Medicine study New England Journal of Medicine study The death rate for patients with breast cancer has been Declines in death rates can be attributed declining for the last quarter-century. in large part to better treatments, not just mammograms. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force D09 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20 The American Cancer Society, American College of The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends Obstetricians and Gynocologists and National women ages 50-74 get a mammogram every two years. Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend a yearly mammogram and breast exam for all women starting at age 40. Cancer diagnosis numbers are up, but deaths are down Diagnosed cases of invasive breast cancer 1 50 100 Deaths due to breast cancer Diagnosed cases of breast cancer in-situ (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer) 50 75 76 77 '78 79 30 81 02 83 84 85 '06 Z8, 88 68, "90 91 92 193 "94 "95 96 97 98 99 00 01 '02 "03 04 "05 06 "07 "08 "09 per 100,000 women National Cancer Institute 28% 2.9 million women today are breast cancer survivors Chance by which dying from breast cancer has fallen in the last 3 decades in women over 40. It has dropped by 42% in women under 40. New England Journal of Medicine study NIH L in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime I in 36 women will likely die from breast cancer NIH In order to prevent one additional breast cancer death: and: which would result in: 1000 33 Women would have to get mammograms starting at age 40 vs.50 500 women getting false positives at least once women receiving unnecessary biopsies Jeanne Mandleblatt of Georgetown University via Forbes With all of these numbers, what's a woman to do? Talk to your doctor 40% .of women receive no breast cancer screening whatsoever putting them at increased risk for developing undetected breast cancer American Cancer Society PBS NEWSHOUR