Is Mammographic Screening Justifiable Considering Its Substantial Overdiagnosis Rate and Minor Effect on Mortality?

Were Our Estimates of Overdiagnosis With Mammography Screening 
in the United States “Based on Faulty Science”?

“…The upper panel in Figure 1 shows this age group and again demonstrates no significant increase in incidence in late-stage disease, with the AAPC for 1976-2008 as 0.20 (CI: -0.11 to 0.52) and p 5 .19, Hence, the decline that the SEER data indicated for late-stage breast cancer in women older than 40 years of age during 1976-2008 stands as reported at 8% as our best guess estimate and pales by comparison with the 109% increase in early-stage disease. As stated by the Nordic Cochrane Center, "When screening doesn't decrease advanced cancers, it cannot work" [7,8]. TO SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY (1940-1970 Figure 3 in the critic's report states that "based on 1976-1978, Bleyer and Welch estimate 0.25% per year increase in breast cancer incidence had there been no screening as their projected baseline."…”

Experiences and perceptions about undergoing mammographic screening: a qualitative study involving women from a county in Sweden

“…Mammographic screening, which is an x-ray examination, is one option for an early detection of potential breast malignancies and consequently, for the commencement of treatment (Vainio & Bianchini, 2002; Wilson & Jungner, 1968). The pros and cons of screening for breast cancer have been debated; negative effects, such as the risk of unnecessary treatment due to over-diagnosis (Jørgensen, Keen, & Gøtzsche, 2011; Løberg, Lousdal, Bretthauer, & Kalager, 2015), have been mentioned, while a mortality reduction has been a counter argument (Duffy et al, 2002; Independent UK Panel on Breast Cancer Screening, 2012). However, the organized population-based mammographic screening programme is perceived as effective, and the majority of the countries in the European Union (except three) implemented it in 2016 (Ponti et al, 2017).…”

Controversies in mammography screening: let us not ignore science in this never-ending debate

“…Regarding the recently reported minor effect on mortality and the high over-diagnosis rate in the NBCSP (10,11,13,14), it is important to be aware that these publications are register-based research without access to individualized data. Register-based studies have several limitations (which is also the case for case-control studies!).…”