Millions of Canadians happily sign up for breast cancer screening every year. After all, we’re told that it “saves lives” for women aged 50 to 74. Yet, there is no evidence that it does. Most – but not all – studies conclude screening mammography reduces a woman’s chance of dying of breast cancer. But in randomized controlled trials on breast …
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I had my mammogram done last year. I also registered for a breast-screening program at a hospital. My aunt, who is my mama’s sister, died from …
Healthydebate.ca has run a series of stories on breast cancer screening mammography, stimulated by the recent guidelines from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. This last story focuses on how women and policy makers must balance the benefits and harms of screening mammography. The issues raised in this series are relevant to screening …
Some breast cancers detected by screening mammography are cured and would have led to death had they not been detected early. Other breast cancers detected by screening can be treated just as effectively if diagnosed later, may not have needed treatment at all, or may be so advanced that treatment does not prevent death from …
As a rural family doctor I have to factor in travel costs when referring my patients for specialized services. Costs of travel include not only transportation expenses but time from work and home. Increasingly patients are being forced to travel again and again after having tests. A good example is breast screening which causes many …
The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recently released recommendations about screening for breast cancer. These recommendations have been criticized by some because they emphasize the results of randomized trials. This article explores the advantages and limitations of randomized trial evidence regarding screening mammography. The recent recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive …
The results of research on screening for breast cancer with mammography can be presented in ways that make the benefits seem larger or smaller Similarly, the benefits can be described as avoiding deaths from breast cancer or avoiding deaths from any cause Part of the debate about the benefits of screening mammography may be related …
In medical journals, doctors and scientists continue to debate the relative benefits and harms of breast cancer screening for women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer. This debate is not always reflected in screening programs, most of which strongly recommend mammography to average risk women within a certain age bracket. Some experts …