Preventing Cancer, Mammograms May Not Help

Having an annual mammogram may not be as effective a preventive measure against breast cancer as we once thought, according to a new study.

The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, argues that annual mammography for women past the age of 40 has little to no impact on whether breast cancer, once diagnosed, kills its victim.

Researchers preformed analysis of data that had been compiled since 1980 provided by the Canadian National Breast Screening Study, collecting information from 15 screening centers across six Canadian provinces. The participant data was then divided between those who received annual mammograms over a course of at least five years and a no-mammography groups.

Interestingly, the analysis found that a nearly equivalent number of women in both groups, around 3200, were diagnosed with breast cancer within the course of the 25 years studied. Researchers were quick to admit in their findings that  mammography did find some more aggressive and dangerous forms of breast cancer at earlier rates, but surprisingly, this did not affect the mortality rate of either group. In total about 500 patients died from breast cancer in the mammography group and 505 died from the cancer in the no-mammography group.

Researchers also pointed out that in the mammography group, especially in earlier years, many benign tumors were detected and treated even though treatment was not necessary. These false positives can cause patients psychological distress and are both costly and time consuming for medical providers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Overtreatment of benign tumors also exposes patients to the adverse effects of various breast cancer treatments. Because of this, it is always recommended getting a second opinion.

Annual mammography can also prove costly for someone without insurance. The cash costs of a test in New York State for instance ranges from $80 to $600  depending on the quality, detail, and depth of the exam.  Medicare pays for annual screenings for all female beneficiaries who are at least 40 years old, according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

While breast exam recommendations tend to vary, the American Cancer Society continues to advise women over 40 to get annual mammograms.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal this February.