Welch Et Al. Data in NEJM Reinforces That Mammography Detects Breast Cancers Earlier and Saves Lives

WASHINGTON, DC— The numerical data inWelch et al., published in the October 13New England Journal of Medicine, clearly show that mammography screening catches more cancers early and reduces the number of women with cancers of advanced size. Smaller cancers result in better outcomes for women. This not only helps save lives, but also allows more women to have their cancers treated with less extensive surgery, fewer mastectomies, and less frequent or aggressive chemotherapy.
The Welch et al. data do not support the authors’ conclusion that improved therapy is more key to breast cancer survival than mammography screening. Nor does the data support that mammography use leads to rampant overdiagnosis. The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database used by the authors does not provide the detailed information needed to support such claims. The baseline assumption on which the conclusions are based is contradicted by the primary author’s previous papers and well-established research.Fewer Large Tumors— Fewer Breast Cancer Deaths
This Welch et al. paper reiterated the SEER database finding that there has been a 30 percent decrease in large tumors found in American women after screening became widespread. This major decline in large tumors is related to the documented increase in the detection of small invasive cancers. Not surprisingly, thesame SEER database shows that since mammography screening proliferated i...

Source: American College of Radiology - October 12, 2016 Category: Radiology Source Type: news