THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Q. Has the value of mammography for breast cancer screening been disproven?

A. The argument for routine mammography screening for all women over 40 seems to be unravelling. On January 8, 2000, the Lancet published a rigorous analysis of all the clinical trials on mammography screening for breast cancer. The Danish authors conclude:

"Screening for breast cancer with mammography is unjustified....For every 1000 women...one breast-cancer death is avoided whereas the total number of deaths is increased by six...There is no reliable evidence that screening decreases breast-cancer mortality."

This is an extraordinary development. Most cancer authorities have regarded mammography as an indispensible, life-saving procedure. In Sweden wide-scale mammography was introduced in 1985 and the authorities predicted an 11 percent decrease in breast cancer deaths by now. But there has been no decrease.

The two clinical trials that were rigorously performed found no effect of screening on deaths from breast cancer, "not even a tendency towards an effect." However, the six studies that showed highly significant effects have now been shown to be seriously flawed.

DISTURBING THE MEDICAL WORLD

The authors report that 49 percent of women who get routine mammograms will experience at least one false-positive test during ten screening rounds and that 19 percent will be unnecessarily subjected to biopsies. They do not even attempt to measure the psychological distress and physical pain many women endure in the process. And there is no mention of the excess radiation exposure.

Naturally, this paper set off howls of protest. One doctor's comment was that the authors should "go peddle their rubbish elsewhere....They have a lot of nerve to disturb the medical world" and cause "great anxiety among our female patients." As if "avoiding anxiety" and not finding the truth was the goal of scientific research!

I think the article is a breath of fresh air and congratulate the Lancet for publishing it and stimulating such a lively debate.

http://www.thelancet.com/newlancet/sub/issues/vol355no9198/publichealth129.html

We have a Moss Report on the topic of breast cancer. Please see my book The Cancer Industry for a detailed discussion of the mammography controversy.

If you wish to obtain a Moss Report for a particular kind of cancer, you can call our office at 718-636-4433 or order BY CLICKING HERE via our secure order form,.

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. is director of the The Moss Reports for cancer patients. Dr. Moss is the author of eleven books and three documentaries on cancer-related topics. He is or has been an advisor on alternative cancer treatments to the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the American Urological Association, Columbia University, the University of Texas, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the German Society of Oncology. He wrote the first article on alternative medicine for the Encyclopedia Britannica yearbook. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in the East, and Who's Who in Entertainment (as a film documentarian). This Web site does not advocate any particular treatment for cancer. We urge you to always seek competent medical advice for all health problems, especially cancer. Before consulting our site please read our full Disclaimer statement.

home | ralph's bio | moss reports list | order a report | phone consultations
current topics | subscribe to our newsletter | newsletter archives | ralph's books | contact us

---

CancerDecisions® PO Box 1076, Lemont, PA 16851 Phone Toll Free: 800-980-1234 | From Outside USA: 814-238-3367 | Fax: 814-238-5865 Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved. Click here to read our disclaimer.