The study's authors, Dr. Archie Bleyer, and Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, stated "we estimated that breast cancer was overdiagnosed (i.e., tumors were detected on screening that would never have led to clinical symptoms) in 1.3 million U.S. women in the past 30 years. We estimated that in 2008, breast cancer was overdiagnosed in more than 70,000 women; this accounted for 31 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed."

They concluded that, even though early detection increased from screenings, the procedure had "only marginally reduced the rate at which women present with advanced cancer." In addition, they felt that the data suggested that "there is substantial overdiagnosis, accounting for nearly a third of all newly diagnosed breast cancers, and that screening is having, at best, only a small effect on the rate of death from breast cancer."


An even stronger headline in this debate can be found on the website of the Breast Cancer Action organization in 2014: "Early Detection Does Not Save Lives".

In that article, executive director Karuna Jaggar lays out the dilemma clearly when she refers to a Canadian study published in the BMJ in 2014.

"The rationale behind screening the general population is that by identifying and treating cancer early, even before it can be felt, treatments will be more effective and easier to bear. For many people this idea makes intuitive sense: surely the earlier something is caught, the better," she stated.

But this 2014 study, she noted, "adds to the evidence from a number of studies finding little benefit to routinely screening healthy middle-aged women at average risk of breast cancer. Furthermore, these same studies have found there are significant harms to aggressively screening the general population for cancer."

What, then, to do?

"For 30 years the mainstream breast cancer movement has told us that early detection is the solution to the breast cancer crisis. No screening tool can prevent breast cancer," noted Jaggar, adding, "We need better treatments and we need true prevention."

That this latest BMJ study went unreported has troubled Schattner, however, who wrote, "Another finding, I might add, is the paucity of news on this major finding about the benefit of early breast cancer detection. I read about it in Medscape. But as of [Oct 8], I didn’t see this BMJ study reported in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post. I didn’t hear of it on CNN or NPR. A Medscape caption suggests the report presents an 'Indirect Argument for Mammography?'"

"Which makes me wonder: Does the press shun favorable reports on breast cancer screening?"

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