One third of breast cancers treated unnecessarily

Researches from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen who  analysed data and trends over 7 years before and after the implementation of state run screening programmes for breast cancer in Australia, Britain, Canada, Norway and Sweden found that one third of breast cancer patients  should not be treated.

These government run health screening programmes which are targeted at women aged between 50 and 69 years have picked up many more cases of breast cancers. But the study which was published in the BMJ implied that 1 in 3 breast cancer patients diagnosed through such public health screening programmes have been treated unnecessarily.

Some breast cancers are non life threatening and grow slowly. In some of the cases, the patients actually die from other causes before the cancer becomes symptomatic.

Treating cancer is costly and the side effects are often harmful and psychologically traumatizing. Many women were subjected to chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery which have serious adverse and side effects.

Doctors are now in a dilemma because they do not know whether this silent killer of women is going to be harmless or lethal.

So what is the trade off between trying to avoid death through early screening and subjecting people to unnecessary harmful treatment?

Our government is also advocating mammogram to detect breast cancer early. Are we detecting more cases and avoiding death for some but causing more harm and suffering to many others who should have been left alone?