British Study Expresses Concern that Screening Mammograms Might be Harmful

Medical Economics reports that a British Medical Journal study analyzed eight trials including 100,000 women, aged at least 50 years old, who received annual mammograms for breast screening. When they took into account false positive diagnoses, additional studies required, and unnecessary surgeries, the net benefit over 20 years of getting mammograms was reduced by half. The study did not consider thermography as an alternative screening procedure, but following patients closely with thermograms before cancer actually develops would likely reduce these risks of screening considerably. See BMJ;DOI:10.1136/bmj.d.7627. Thermography (click here)