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In contrast, the American Cancer Society recommends that all women aged 40 and over get annual mammograms.

In the end, women need to get reliable information from their physicians or other sources about the risks and benefits of mammography. One problem is that not all primary care physicians know the right numbers to convey to their patients, according to a recent survey.

How do doctors really feel about mammograms?

Overall, few doctors would argue that there isn’t some benefit to mammography.

Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, supports the charity’s push for cancer screening.

“As physicians, we feel that breast cancer screening is extremely beneficial,” she said. “Screening does save lives, but it’s probably not as dramatic as it’s sometimes made out to be.”

Adds Woloshin, who is professor of medicine and community and family medicine at Dartmouth School of Medicine and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice: “There is some benefit but the magnitude is of a different order from what is implied by the ad. Women should make good decisions for themselves.”

What does the Komen Foundation have to say?

A representative of the Komen Foundation defended the organization’s position.

“Everyone agrees that mammography isn’t perfect, but it’s the best widely available detection tool that we have today,” said Chandini Portteus, Komen’s vice president of research, evaluation and scientific programs. “We’ve said for years that science has to do better, which is why Komen is putting millions of dollars into research to detect breast cancer before symptoms start, through biomarkers, for example,” she explained.

“Komen also is funding research to help accurately predict which tumors will spread and which won’t,” Portteus continued. “While we invest in getting those answers, we think it’s simply irresponsible to effectively discourage women from taking steps to know what’s going on with their health,” she noted.

“The numbers are not in question,” Portteus said. “Early detection allows for early treatment, which gives women the best chance of surviving breast cancer.”

Are Breast Cancer Survival Rate Claims Being Exaggerated?  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

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