I have practised as a family doctor in Pointe Claire and in Phoenix, Az., for many years. The new guidelines for detection of breast cancer have me extremely worried.
In October 2009, the United States Preventative Services Task Force came out with new recommendations for detection of breast cancer. Canada was soon to follow with almost identical recommendations.
Breast self-examinations were not only unnecessary, but, according to an article in the Canadian Medical Journal, breast self-examination did more harm than good.
The recommendations that mammography should begin at age 50 and then be done every two years after were based on seriously flawed studies due in part to lack of surveillance of the women studied. The lengthy studies involved 260,000 Chinese and 120,000 Russian female factory workers.
Concerned, I contacted Robert A. Smith, director of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society, and Harvard radiology professor Dr. Daniel Kopans.
Both agreed the studies are flawed. Kopan believes mammograms should begin at age 40 and then be performed annually. That is also the recommendation of the Mayo Clinic.
Is it remotely possible that the USPSTF and Canadian Cancer Society have issued these new guidelines in order to implement cost savings while paying little attention to women's lives?
I suggest that just one visit to a hospice by the powers-that-be might give the most cost-conscious individual second thoughts.
We are talking of women's lives, and seriously flawed data.
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