Is there such thing as too much mammography?
by
tayrice (student)
[Type text][Type text][Type text]
Mammography is a type of x-ray used specifically for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. It is the most reliable radiographic technique for early detection of breast cancer. A mammogram is preformed by pressing the breast in between two specifically designed plates. For a screening test each breast is x-rayed twice, once from a vertical angle and once from a horizontal angle. For a diagnostic test one (or both) breast(s) is x-rayed from several different angles. As with many other medical tests, mammography is not 100% accurate. Doctors have been recommending regular screenings for years, but recently there has been a lot of debate over the risk involved.
It is true that early screening provides early detection and treatment of breast cancer, possibly meaning that the tumour can be removed before it bursts and spreads. Regular screening gives physicians the ability to detect small tumours that may not be able to be felt in self-examination. Also a specific type of tissue growth called DCIS which is a small abnormality confined to the milk ducts, can only be detected by mammography. If removed at this stage they cannot harm patients.
Dr. H. Gilbert Welsh and Brittney A. Frankel, two Dartmouth researchers, did a study and concluded that even considering these benefits; it is true that there are a relatively low percentage of women who have found mammography useful. Dr. Welsh’s notes that of 138,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer due to mammography; 120,000 to 134,000 are not helped by the screening. “The presumption is that anyone who has had cancer detected has survived because of this test, “ said Dr. Welsh “…in screen-detected breast and prostate cancer survivors are more likely to have been over diagnosed than actually helped by the test.” Also 10 out of every 100 women screened will be told that something on their test look suspicious, leading, not only to unnecessary emotional trauma, but to several other tests such as a MRI, which is a lengthy and uncomfortable test.
