SHOULD YOU GET A MAMMOGRAM?
Danish researchers say a re-analysis of
their controversial study of a year ago confirms their original conclusions
-- that there is no evidence that breast-cancer screening with mammography
saves women's lives. When the original report was published last year in
The Lancet, it garnered widespread criticism from breast cancer experts
who questioned the researchers’ reasoning and conclusions. Researchers then
re-analyzed their data according to the protocol of an international organization
that has established rigorous standards for conducting and publishing research
reviews. But their conclusion about mammography remains the same. According
to the researchers, flawed methods have troubled the studies that indicate
mammography saves women's lives by catching breast cancer early. Of the
eight studies reviewed, only two were deemed to be of good quality.And those
two trials suggested that mammograms have made not reduced breast cancer
deaths. In their original study, the researchers cited problems with the
way many mammography trials have been conducted - including imbalances in
terms of the women's ages and other factors that they say has skewed the
study results in favour of mammography. Based on the current report, Lancet
editor, Richard Horton, concludes that "At present, there is no
reliable evidence from large randomized trials that support screening mammography
programs."
The
Lancet,
October
20th, 2001; 358:1340-1342,1284-1285
Comment: The above report of course is in line with
the facts, but perhaps should go the extra step to warn women that mammograms
can actually cause breast cancer, according to a number of researchers,
such as Dr John Gofman and Professor Samuel Epstein. In both Cancer,
Why We’re Still Dying to Know the Truth and Health Wars, It is
pointed out that scientific evidence shows that x-rays and radiation in
general will damage healthy tissue and commence a healing process, which,
if not terminated upon completion of the task, will become a trophoblastic,
cancerous growth. A non-toxic alternative to mammograms is infra-red thermography.
It is certainly encouraging to see the Lancet covering such a controversial
issue. Unfortunately, how many members of the public read the Lancet?
How many of us are at the mercy of the media who might choose selectively
NOT to report such a divisive but crucial issue?