Breast cancer screening ‘could be causing harm’

Breast cancer screenings have led to a growing number of woman undergoing unnecessary treatments, according to new research.

The study conducted by the Nordic Cochrane Centre, revealed that over the last ten years, ten of every 2,000 women screened then had chemotherapy, radiotherapy or mastectomies that were not necessary.

According to the group, a further 200 women went through months of anxiety having been incorrectly diagnosed.

Dr Peter Gotzsche, lead researcher at the Nordic Cochrane Centre, said that women ought to be made aware of both the potential benefits and the possible harm of screenings.

“When screening advocates and their organisations produce information materials, they generally emphasise the benefits and omit information on the major harms,” he comments.

“This needs to be corrected to ensure that women can give genuinely informed consent before joining a screening programme.”

In response to the group’s findings, Julietta Patnick, director of NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, defended screenings as a way of diagnosing cancer, the Guardian reports.

Ms Patnick argues that the NHS estimates that of the 2,000 women screened over a decade, five women who would “otherwise not present” are diagnosed, yet a further five lives are saved.