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Women overestimate effectiveness of breast screening
October 12, 2001Women either overestimate or are poorly informed about the effectiveness of breast screening, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. But these are the very women who attend for screening. To give them the facts might deter them from being screened, so creating a public health dilemma, suggest the authors.
The researchers interviewed 895 randomly selected women between the ages of 40 and 80, none of whom had breast cancer. The women were asked to estimate the effectiveness of regular screening for the prevention of breast cancer deaths in those over 50.
Fewer than one in five correctly stated that breast screening can reduce the risk of death from breast cancer by about 25 per cent. Over half the interviewees said they thought screening halved or reduced the risk of death by as much as 75 per cent. One in four said they simply didn't know how effective breast screening was.
The women who were overoptimistic about breast cancer screening also considered themselves to be at higher risk of developing the disease. Misconceptions about screening's power to cut breast cancer deaths were also consistently associated with more positive attitudes towards screening and an intention to have a mammogram in the future.
The authors point out that unrealistic expectations or being poorly informed mean that women are not able to give truly informed consent for the procedure. But will the provision of more accurate information result in fewer women being screened, they ask?
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Breast Cancer News and Current Breast Cancer Events RSSM. D. Anderson study finds change in HER2 status after treatment with Herceptin
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that when treated with Herceptin prior to surgery, 50 percent of HER2 positive, breast cancer patients showed no signs of disease at the time of surgery.
M. D. Anderson study finds racial disparities in radiation therapy rates for breast cancer
Black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, the standard of care for early stage breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
New nano device detects immune system cell signaling
Scientists have detected previously unnoticed chemical signals that individual cells in the immune system use to communicate with each other over short distances.
CSHL scientists identify new drug target against virulent type of breast cancer
Tumor cells in a particular subset of breast cancer patients churn out too much of a protein called ErbB2 -- also often called HER2 -- which drives the cells to proliferate unchecked. Patients unlucky enough to be in this group -- about one in four -- have poorer prognoses and clinical outcomes than those who don't.
Dense tissue promotes aggressive cancers
New research may explain why breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in women with denser breast tissue. Breast cancer cells grown in dense, rigid surroundings step up their invasive activities, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators report in the Sept. 9 issue of Current Biology.
Women exposed to negative life events at greater risk of breast cancer: BGU study
Happiness and optimism may play a role against breast cancer while adverse life events can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Hormone replacement therapy improves sleep, sexuality and joint pain in older women
One of the world's longest and largest trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has found that post-menopausal women on HRT gain significant improvements in quality of life.
Positive thinking may protect against breast cancer
Feelings of happiness and optimism play a positive role against breast cancer. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Cancer suggests that while staying positive has a protective role, adverse life events such as the loss of a parent or close relative, divorce or the loss of a spouse can increase a woman's risk of developing the disease.
Anti-tumor effects are enhanced by inhibiting 2 pathways rather than 1
Two independent research groups have found that simultaneous inhibition of two signaling pathways resulted in substantially enhanced antitumor effects in mouse models of prostate and breast cancer. In an accompany commentary, Steven Grant, at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Science Center, Richmond, discusses the clinical importance of these studies and highlights some of the questions that still need to be answered.
Why a common treatment for prostate cancer ultimately fails
Some of the drugs given to many men during their fight against prostate cancer can actually spur some cancer cells to grow, researchers have found. The findings were published online this week in a pair of papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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