Breast screening reduces the risk

Breast screening reduces the risk of death due to breast cancer by 40%.

The researchers reported that women between the age of 50 and 69 years who received the screening were 40% less likely to succumb to the disease compared to women who were not screened.

However, for women in their 40s, there was limited evidence to support the same.

Merely inviting a woman to undergo a mammography reduced her risk of breast cancer by 23%, said the researchers. Not all women act on the invitation.

The study also showed that benefits of mammography outweigh the risks – which include – false-positive results, over-diagnosis and possibly radiation induced cancer.

Written by: Dr. Ajay Sati.