Women need better information about breast screeningJuly 09, 2003Information about breast screening must be improved if women are to fully understand both the benefits and the potential harms in order to make an informed choice, argue researchers in this week's BMJ. Although breast screening is well established in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, its value continues to be debated. Estimates of the effect of screening on breast cancer deaths vary widely, and women are given limited information in terms that are often hard to understand. As a result, harms are often dismissed as a price worth paying for the perceived general good and few people appreciate that screening contributes to the rise in incidence of breast cancer, write the authors. Tensions exist between the demands of the screening industry's "pursuit of good uptake" and properly promoting informed choice for citizens as required by the GMC guidelines, they add. Although much research has been done, so far there has been negligible improvement in NHS screening leaflets and public misconceptions. The focus of research into screening programmes should not be to improve uptake but to develop flexible decision aids to meet women's desires for balanced information. It is unacceptable that women taking tests continue to suffer damage and regret because they found out the harms of screening from experience. Unless women are able to make true informed choices, funding for the service will continue to be questioned, they conclude. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Angled gantry technique reduced breast radiation exposure by 50 percent A novel angled gantry approach to coronary CT angiography reduced radiation exposure to the breast by more than 50%, according to Thomas Jefferson University researchers. HER2 levels may aid in treatment selection for metastatic breast cancer Findings published in the December 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, show lapatinib benefits women with HER2-positive breast cancer, while women with HER2-negative breast cancer or those who express EGRF alone derive no incremental benefit. Drop in cancer deaths tied primarily to gains in behavior and screening Improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, according to new research from David Cutler of Harvard University. New breast imaging technology targets hard-to-detect cancers Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) is effective in the detection of cancers not found on mammograms or by clinical exam, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Delays in Radiation Therapy Lead to Increased Breast Cancer Recurrence A new analysis of the National Cancer Institute's cancer registry has found that as many as one in five older women experience delayed or incomplete radiation treatment following breast-conserving surgery, and that this suboptimal care can lead to worse outcomes. New mammography technology effective in detecting breast cancer A study has found that positron emission mammography (PEM), a new technique for imaging the breast, is not affected by either breast density or a woman's hormonal status, two factors that limit the effectiveness of standard mammography and MRI at detecting cancer. New statistical model could help reduce breast-lesion biopsies A new method of characterizing breast lesions found during an MRI exam could result in fewer biopsies of benign tumors with the benefits of reduced pain and expense for patients and providers, according to a paper that will be presented today (Sunday, Nov. 30) at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Breast cancer treatment offers better outcome to women with implants Women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone breast augmentation may be treated successfully with a partial-breast radiation treatment called brachytherapy, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Study identifies double-balloon enteroscopy as cost-effective approach for obscure GI bleeding A cost-effectiveness analysis conducted by researchers at Stanford University Hospital in Calif., shows that an initial double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is a cost-effective approach for patients with obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Study identifies causes of bone loss in breast cancer survivors Osteoporosis is a growing concern among breast cancer survivors and their doctors, because certain cancer drugs can cause bone loss. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||