Mammograms: All Risk, No Benefit
By Jon Herring
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women. And according to the medical establishment, one of the best defenses against this killer is early detection by way of mammograms. There's just one small problem. Mammograms don't work. What's worse, by exposing the highly sensitive breast tissue to radiation year after year, mammograms could actually CAUSE breast cancer.
I covered this topic in ETR #1628. And a fair amount of the feedback I received from readers suggested it was irresponsible to advise women to avoid mammograms. But according to a study published this month [April] in the New England Journal of Medicine, I was on the right track. After looking at more than 429,000 mammogram results, the researchers concluded that a trained doctor is better at detecting breast cancer.
The researchers found that there was a significant increase in false positives after mammography was introduced. These false positives not only cause unnecessary worry, they lead to additional scans and pointless biopsies, adding $550 million to the annual cost of breast cancer screening. The researchers went on to say that mammography is "of uncertain clinical benefit."
With that, I'll leave you the same advice I gave a year ago:
"The National Cancer Institute has been campaigning for women to get a mammogram every year, starting at age 40. But given their questionable benefit and proven risks, I would advise against it. Instead, consider a monthly breast self-examination (BSE), and see a trained health professional every year for a clinical breast examination (CBE)."
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It's Fun to Know: the Difference Between Crocodiles and Alligators
If you spot one of these large reptiles, look at the shape of its snout. If it's tapered and V-shaped, you're looking at a crocodile; if it's wide and U-shaped, you're looking at an alligator.
Michael Masterson
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2024, 04-24-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women. And according to the medical establishment, one of the best defenses against this killer is early detection by way of mammograms. There's just one small problem. Mammograms don't work. What's worse, by exposing the highly sensitive breast tissue to radiation year after year, mammograms could actually CAUSE breast cancer.
I covered this topic in ETR #1628. And a fair amount of the feedback I received from readers suggested it was irresponsible to advise women to avoid mammograms. But according to a study published this month [April] in the New England Journal of Medicine, I was on the right track. After looking at more than 429,000 mammogram results, the researchers concluded that a trained doctor is better at detecting breast cancer.
The researchers found that there was a significant increase in false positives after mammography was introduced. These false positives not only cause unnecessary worry, they lead to additional scans and pointless biopsies, adding $550 million to the annual cost of breast cancer screening. The researchers went on to say that mammography is "of uncertain clinical benefit."
With that, I'll leave you the same advice I gave a year ago:
"The National Cancer Institute has been campaigning for women to get a mammogram every year, starting at age 40. But given their questionable benefit and proven risks, I would advise against it. Instead, consider a monthly breast self-examination (BSE), and see a trained health professional every year for a clinical breast examination (CBE)."
______________________________
It's Fun to Know: the Difference Between Crocodiles and Alligators
If you spot one of these large reptiles, look at the shape of its snout. If it's tapered and V-shaped, you're looking at a crocodile; if it's wide and U-shaped, you're looking at an alligator.
Michael Masterson
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2024, 04-24-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.
posted by Oak Stone at 5:23 PM
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