Screening mammograms
Source: Cancer 5/2020
Mammography screening reduces rates of advanced and fatal breast cancers: Results in 549,091 women
Authors wanted to answer the following question:
Question #1 When women participate in a mammography screening program what is the likelihood that they will get advanced and fatal breast cancer compared with women who don't participate in a mammography screening program.
The anwer: “41% reduction in cancers that were fatal within 10 years after diagnosis for women who participated in screening and a 25% reduction in advanced breast cancer”
Question#2 Is the reduction in fatal and advanced breast cancers secondary to screening mammography or better cancer treatments? This study compared the 2 groups (the ones who do get screening with those who don't).
The answer: those who participated in mammography screening had a 41% reduction in their risk of dying of breast cancer within 10 years and a 25% reduction in advanced breast cancers. Both groups had the same/better/cutting edge cancer treatments.
My take: Yes do it!