Mammograms and mortality
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
National Cancer Institute's physician data query (PDQ) editorial board has concluded that a study performed by Nordic Cochrane Center in Denmark to evaluate mammography screening may have merit. The study, originally released in 2000, questioned the value of mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality rates. NCI's independent advisory panel has not yet issued a report on the subject, but the institute is unlikely in the near future to change its breast cancer screening guidelines, which recommend regular screening of women over 50. NCI maintains that early detection is important to cancer control and says that mammorgraphy may be beneficial to women ages 40-49...