Mammograms are life-saving for many women.
Yet, according to a Danish study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, one in three women could be receiving unneeded treatments after small tumors are detected during their annual mammograms.
As reported by USA Today, the study raises the uncomfortable possibility that some women who believe their lives were saved by mammograms were actually harmed by cancer screenings that led to surgery, radiation and even chemotherapy that they didn’t need.
“We, as breast cancer specialists, understand the confusion that studies such as this cause,” said Dr. Heidi Murley, the clinical medical director of St. Elizabeth Fort Thomas Breast Center. “While some women are over-treated for breast cancer, it can be difficult to predict at the time of diagnosis who won’t be at risk for disease progression without treatment. At present, we continue to endorse the American College of Radiology‘s recommendations for screening mammography.”
The American College of Radiology recommends annual mammograms starting at age 40. While it’s true that mammograms can sometimes lead to some unnecessary treatment, the American College of Radiology argues that the problem is much less common than this study suggests.
After the fact, it’s easy for researchers to estimate the statistical rate of overdiagnosis, but doctors treating actual patients can’t definitively tell which breast tumors will need aggressive treatment and which can be safely ignored at the time of detection. Doctors tend to err on the side of caution and treat all breast cancers with surgery and, in many cases, radiation and chemotherapy.
“We continue to learn more about individualizing breast cancer treatment with the many research studies we have open,” said Murley. “Our goal for each patient is to achieve the best outcome with the fewest side effects possible.”
At St. Elizabeth, various specialists help individualize treatment plans for every patient, Murley continued. This ensures that the treatment recommendations are appropriate. If patients have questions, “[they]should discuss their specific concerns with their breast cancer specialists before deciding on treatment plans.”
