Effect of Three Decades of Screening Mammography on Breast-Cancer Incidence

At the Carol Milgard Breast Center, it is our unwavering belief that routine screening mammography and early detection of breast cancer save lives. Countless studies over the last few decades have proven this point. As in any healthy debate, from time to time, we have seen studies questioning the effectiveness and value of mammography. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) raised the issue of over-diagnosis of breast cancer in women, suggesting that many of cancers detected would not have affected the mortality of patients. However, careful scrutiny of the article suggests there were some false assumptions which were made, which could significantly affect the conclusions of the study.

In a joint statement, the American College of Radiology and Society for Breast Imaging called the NEJM study “deeply flawed and misleading.”