Here we go again with "dubious" benefits of mammograms

[question everything]

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/01/09/508928906/danish-study-raises-more-questions-about-mammograms-message

"Researchers followed thousands of women in Denmark over more than a decade and found that perhaps one-third of the abnormalities detected by mammograms may never cause health problems."

And how would you know? You will not treat the woman and if and when she does develop cancer when it is too let to treat you will just say oops?

[angstlessk]

1. so 2/3rds DO develop cancer...

and what man o gram that can detect 2/3rds of cancer is disavowed?

[cyclonefence]

2. During the last spate of news articles

questioning the benefits of mammograms, I decided I would skip mine. I'd just had a breast exam by my gynecologist, who'd been seeing me for 20 years and knew my breasts well, and there is no history of breast cancer in my family.

Cleaning out my wallet one day a month or so later, I came across the order slip for the mammogram and thought "oh what the hell" and made the appointment.

I had a tiny, vicious little cancer in my left breast that was undetectable by tactile exam. When I went to see the surgeon, she was unable to locate it without reference to the film. When I had my lumpectomy, I had to have a sort of Eiffel Tower on my breast to show where the tumor was.

My tumor was malignant, of a very invasive type of cancer. I had radiation and chemotherapy after the surgery and am now cancer-free (in the breast, at least) for five years now.

I have no doubt that my mammogram saved my life.

[question everything]

4. Thank you. This is the best testimony that one can offer

Congratulations on being cancer free for five years!

And welcome to DU!

[Phoenix61]

5. So glad you are healthy

Me too. Yipee!!! I learned a lot like 80% of women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors. My biggest gripe about those said risk factors are almost all are behavioral and not "good girl" behaviors. Drinking alcohol, no children, no breast feeding, weight... Where are the risk factors for prostate cancer? Oh that's right, they got a blood test.

[brer cat]

7. Fantastic!

That is what we need: early detection and a cancer-free life.

Thank you for this post. Too many women believe the news articles and accounts like yours are the perfect antidote.

Welcome to DU.

[Phoenix61]

3. Don't even know where to start with the flaws in this study

Late stage tumors are generally large enough to detect by self-exam so I wouldn't expect there to be a big difference for them. There is debate over how to treat (I believe it's called) in-situ ductal carcinoma, basically cancer in the milk duct that hasn't spread. They are unable to predict if it will spread so treatment protocol is unclear. There also isn't 1 type of breast cancer, there are many. Some much harder to treat than others. The biggest difference to me between prostate cancer and breast cancer is the average age of the patient. Don't know too many 40 year old men with prostate cancer but so know of women younger than that that have died from breast cancer.

[phylny]

6. My breast cancer was found via a regular mammogram. It was STAGE ZERO.

Zero. It was found before it had a chance to metastasize. (ETA - what Phoenix61 above is describing - DCIS). I remember saying to the radiologist, "I didn't feel anything" and he said, "You wouldn't have been able to feel anything - your cancer was similar in size to several grains of salt."

I'm forever grateful.