• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

BestMedicalDegrees.com

Your Online Guide to the Top Medical Degree Programs

Do Mammograms Save Lives?

mammograms

Share this infographic on your site!

Do Mammograms Save Lives?

Does early breast cancer detection really save lives?

The most extensive study on mammograms to-date was released in February 2014. It analyzed nearly 90,000 women over the course of 25 years. The study found that Mammograms:
â–  Do not reduce breast cancer death rates
â–  Do increase over-diagnosis
â—‹ 22% of screen detected invasive breast cancers were over-diagnosed

They Aren't Helping
â—‹ Based on a 25-year study of Canadian women aged 40-59
â—‹ 44,925 women received breast exams and mammograms
â—‹ 3,250 were diagnosed with breast cancer
â—‹ 500 died from breast cancer
â—‹ 44,910 women received breast exams only
â—‹ 3,133 were diagnosed with breast cancer
â—‹ 505 died from breast cancer

Mammograms Used to Work

American Cancer Society combined data from clinical trials of mammography show regular mammograms reduce death rates by as much as 20% in women 40+
The Canadian report points out that the randomized controlled trials of the 1960's and 80s:
â–  Preluded the drug tamoxifen, which sharply reduces risk of death
â–  Preluded mass breast cancer awareness and women tended to ignore lumps
â–  Did not use the gold-standard methods of today's clinical trials

Calculating the Harm
● 74% of US women aged 40+ had a mammogram within the past 2 years
● 133,156 women were unnecessarily treated for breast cancer within the past 2 years.

Consequences of Misdiagnosis
â—‹ Needless radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy
â—‹ The average cost of treating early stages of breast cancer is $22,000
● Digital Mammograms cost hospitals
â–  $120,000 – $220,000
â—‹ +$15,000 – $20,000 for each Computer Aided Detection (CAD)
â—‹ +$15,000 – $35,000 for each Physician Workstations (DWS)
â—‹ Can total more than $275,000

How to Properly Self-Exam

According to nationalbreastcancer.org

1. In the Shower
Using the pads of your fingers, move around your entire breast in a circular pattern moving from the outside to the center, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Check both breasts each month feeling for any lump, thickening, or hardened knot. Notice any changes and get lumps evaluated by your healthcare provider.

2. In Front of the Mirror
Look for any changes in the contour, any swelling, or dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples. Next, rest your palms on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles. Left and right breasts will not exactly match — few women's breasts do, so look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes, particularly on one side.

3. Lying Down
When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out evenly along the chest wall. Place a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm behind your head. Using your left hand, move the pads of your fingers around your right breast gently in small circular motions covering the entire breast area and armpit.

breast exams

Sources:
nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam
census.gov/population/age/data/2012comp.html
nationalbreastcancer.org/about-nbcf/breast-cancer-financials
bmj.com/highwire/filestream/686195/field_highwire_article_pdf/0/bmj.g366
info.blockimaging.com/bid/95356/Digital-Mammography-Equipment-Price-Cost-Info
kff.org/womens-health-policy/state-indicator/mammogram-rate-for-women-40-years/
nytimes.com/2014/02/12/health/study-adds-new-doubts-about-value-of-mammograms.html

Primary Sidebar

FIND YOUR DEGREE NOW!
Bestmedicaldegrees.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Featured Articles

  • 25 Fastest Online Medical Degrees
  • 50 Best Paying Nursing Specialties
  • 50 Highest Paying Medical Careers
  • Best Online Master’s Programs in Medicine and Healthcare
  • Best Medical TV Shows of All-Time
  • Top 10 Most Promising Experimental Cancer Treatments
  • Top Healthcare Jobs By College Degree
  • The EV-D68 Virus: Reason to Panic?
  • 30 Highest Paying Healthcare Jobs Without Graduate Degree
  • 30 Oldest Medical Schools in the World
  • Is Medical School Worth it Financially?

Program Rankings

  • 20 Fastest RN to BSN Degree Programs
  • Best Value Online DNP Programs
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Nursing Education Programs
  • Best Value Online Physician Assistant Master’s Programs
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Addiction/Substance Abuse Counseling
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Gerontology Nursing Programs
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Healthcare Management
  • Best Value Online RN to BSN Programs
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Psychology Programs
  • Best Value Online Master’s in Mental Health Counseling
  • Best Value Online HI & HIM Programs
  • Best Value Online MPH Programs
  • Best Value Online MSN Programs
  • Best Value Online MHA Programs

Affordability Rankings

  • 30 Most Affordable Online RN to BSN Degree Programs
  • 25 Most Affordable Online Master of Psychology Degree Programs
  • Affordable Online Nurse Practitioner Programs 2021
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Masters Programs in Health Science
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Healthcare Informatics Bachelor Degrees
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Health Science Bachelor Degrees
  • 10 Most Affordable Online MSN Degree Programs
  • 10 Cheapest Online Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degrees
  • The Most Affordable Online Emergency Management Masters Degrees
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Public Health Bachelors Degrees
  • The Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Health, Wellness, and Nutrition
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Masters Degrees in Health, Wellness and Nutrition
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Masters Degrees in Healthcare Informatics
  • 10 Affordable Online Masters of Healthcare Administration
  • 10 Affordable Online Bachelors Degrees in Psychology
  • 10 Affordable Online Masters In Public Health
  • 10 Affordable Online Bachelor Degrees in Healthcare Administration
  • The Most Affordable Online Associate Degrees in Medical Billing and Coding
  • Affordable Online Medical Billing and Coding Certificates and Diplomas 2021
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Associate Degrees in Medical Assisting Programs

Featured Infographics

  • How To Recover From Burnout [Infographic]
  • Doctors Vs. Nurses [Infographic]
  • Racial Disparities in Healthcare [Infographic]
  • Debunking Detox [Infographic]
  • Antibiotics & Fast Food [Infographic]

Resource Guides

  • Best Blogs for Medical Students
  • Health Informatics Online Resource Guide
  • Medical Assisting Online Resource Guide
  • Medical Billing & Coding Online Resource Guide

Medical School Rankings

  • FindTheBest
  • StudentDoc
  • TopTestPrep
  • U.S. News & World Report

Medical Associations

  • American Association of Medical Assistants
  • American Medical Association
  • American Medical Billing Association
  • American Medical Informatics Association
  • Healthcare Billing & Management Association
  • International Medical Informatics Association
  • National Medical Association
FIND YOUR DEGREE NOW!
Bestmedicaldegrees.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

© 2022 BestMedicalDegrees.com, a Red Ventures Company | Privacy Policy | Advertising Disclosure