SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY UNDER SCRUTINYOctober 17, 2001In the UK and many other countries, women are advised to have routine screening (mammography) for breast cancer in the hope that early detection of a breast cancer and prompt treatment will cure the disease. A report in The Lancet in January 2000, by Peter G'¸tzsche and Ole Olsen from the Nordic Cochrane Center In Copenhagen, Denmark, suggested that this may not be the case. This report was widely criticised in the medical and non-medical press. G'¸tzsche and Olsen re-analysed their data according to a rigorous protocol developed by the Cochrane Collaboration, an organisation committed to using the best evidence to help doctors and policy makers make reliable decisions about patient care. The results of this second analysis are published in The Lancet this week (a summary of this analysis is published as a Research letter in the print journal and the full analysis is available on The Lancet's website, www.thelancet.com). Their conclusions are unchanged, "The two best trials failed to find an effect of screening on deaths ascribed to breast cancer after 13 years We have also confirmed that screening leads to more aggressive treatment" The editor of The Lancet, Richard Horton, in a commentary, argues that " women should expect doctors to secure the best evidence about the value of screening mammography. At present there is no evidence from large randomised trials to support screening mammography programmes." Lancet |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality but big variations New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population. Elastography reduces unnecessary breast biopsies Elastography is an effective, convenient technique that, when added to breast ultrasound, helps distinguish cancerous breast lesions from benign results, according to an ongoing study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). First live targeting of tumors with RNA-based technology Finding and treating a tumor without disturbing normal tissue presents challenges - sometimes the most effective therapies can be invasive and harsh. Menopause-cardiology consensus statement on cardiovascular disease and on HRT A menopause-cardiology consensus statement has called for direct action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in menopausal women. The statement also concludes that there is little evidence of increased CVD risk in taking HRT. Researchers Identify Role of Gene in Tumor Development, Growth and Progression Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. UCLA researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. Fertility procedures need not delay breast cancer treatment for younger women A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that breast cancer patients under 40 years old who undergo fertility preservation do not face a significant delay in the treatment of their disease when their care is coordinated in a timely fashion. Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Discovery in worms by Queen's researchers points to more targeted cancer treatment Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between two genes involved in cancer formation in humans, by examining the genes in worms. The groundbreaking discovery provides a foundation for how tumor-forming genes interact, and may offer a drug target for cancer treatment. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||