Mammograms are widely touted as an effective breast cancer screening tool. But research and experts suggest that this could be the cause of more harm than good.
Increased risk of cancer
By undergoing mammograms, women are exposed to radiation. And radiation, as we know, is a cause of cancer.
Dr. Russell Blaylock , an oncologist , brain surgeon , and neuroscientist , estimated that annual mammograms could increase the risk of breast cancer by 1 to 3 percent per year . According to him, "some radiologists say it's even more than that. "
In a study of 1,600 European women published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in July 2006, researchers found that women who had a mammogram at least once had a 54 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who never had one.
In addition, Dr. Samuel Epstein, in his book The Politics of Cancer, wrote: "Regular mammography of young women increases their risk of cancer, and analyses of controlled trials over the past decade have shown consistent increases in breast cancer mortality in the few years since screening. This confirms the evidence of the high sensitivity of the breast before menopause, and the cumulative carcinogenic effects of radiation.
And it is not only the problem of radiation: during mammography, the breast is sometimes literally crushed, in order to obtain clearer images. The pain can become so severe that patients have tears in their eyes. Such physical manipulation of tumors, if they were present, can actually cause the spread of cancer cells in the system, thus raising the risk of future metastasis.
Indeed, Dr. Charles Simone, a former associate of the National Cancer Institute, has stated that "mammography increases the risk of developing breast cancer and increases the risk of spreading metastases or existing growth. "
Many doctors believe that mammograms are effective in detecting breast tumors. In a Swedish study published in the British Medical Journal that involved 60,000 women, it was revealed that seven out of 10 tumors detected by mammograms were actually false positives.
And false positives often lead to unnecessary and emotional anguish, financial hardship, invasive biopsies, and even physical mutilation.
The "diagnoses are really not very accurate, and they are causing a lot of women to
undergo chemo and radiation therapy for no reason," Dr. Blaylock said.
And there is no mention of the loss of their breasts via mastectomies.
To make matters worse, a recent large Canadian study that followed 90,000 women for 25 years showed that mammography did not lower the overall breast cancer mortality rate. It is clear that while mammograms may have saved some women, it is also likely that they have done harm. Here it is important to distinguish between analysis and statistics and to look at the big picture.
Profits and politics
So why is mammography still a mainstream screening tool?
"This industry supports radiologists , radiology technicians , surgeons , nurses , X-ray equipment manufacturers , hospitals , etc , and does not want to disappear if we cure and or prevent breast cancer," said Dr. James Howenstine .
Alternative diagnostic tool
A good alternative to mammography is thermography, a safe, highly accurate, inexpensive method of diagnosis that can detect breast cancer many years before physical exams and mammograms detect it. Progressive physicians in Europe and the United States have been using thermography since 1962.
Sources for this article include:
Blaylock , Russell L , MD. Natural strategies for cancer patients. New York, NY: Kensington Publishing , 2003. Print .
Somers , Suzanne. Knockout: Interviews with doctors who are treating cancer and how to prevent Getting It in the First Place. NY, USA: Three Rivers Press , 2009. Print .
Bollinger , Ty. Cancer: Out of the Box . 5th ed . USA: Infinity 510 510 partners, 2011. Print .
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