{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Mammograms Cause NOT Needed Radiation and Surgery in 1.3 Million Women in the US ","description":"Here's the IMPORTANT messages from this New England Journal Article (November 22, 2012).\n\n"We estimate that breast cancer was overdiagnosed (i.e., tumors were detected on screening that would never have let to clinical symptoms) in 1.3 million U.S. women in the past 30 years.\n"Our analysis suggests that whatever the mortality benefit, breast-cancer screening [mammograms] involved a substantial harm of excess detection of additional early-stage cancers.  This imbalance indicates a considerable amount of overdiagnosis"\n"there was a larger relative reduction in mortality among women who were not exposed to screening mammography than among those who were exposed."\n"...decreasing mortality--must largely be the result of improved treatment, not screening.\n"Our finding of substantial overdiagnosis of breast cancer... replicates the finding of investigators in other countries."\n"Overdiagnosis can never be observed and thus can only be inferred from that which is observed--reported incidence."\n"...although no one can say with certainty which women have cancers that are overdiagnosed, there is certainty about what happens to them:  they undergo surger, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy for 5 years or more, chemotherapy, or (usually) a combination of these treatment for abnormalities that otherwise would not have caused illness.  Proponents of screening should provide women with data...\n"Women should recognize that our study does not answer the qustion 'Should I be screened for breast cancer?'  However, they can rest assured that the question has more than one right answer."\nThis last statement is HUGE.  Author finally admitting that mammograms may be harmful and not needed for some women.\n","author_name":"DrRunelsShow's podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/drrunelsshow.libsyn.com","html":"