Critical Analysis of Mammographic Screening for Breast Cancer

Episode Highlights With Dr. Jenn Simmons

• The downfall of imaging as breast cancer prevention is that this is really just early diagnosis and not prevention
• Far beyond cancer, there are a lot of benign changes in the breast that can cause stress for people
• Why screening doesn’t improve outcomes as much as we once thought
• No matter how many women we screen per year, the exact same number die of breast cancer and present with aggressive disease
• Statistically, mammograms don’t save lives or breasts and just have increased the risk of mastectomy 
• How mammography may actually contribute to breast cancer
• Mammography - if you screen 2,000 women, you can potentially save one woman but cause 10 who didn’t need it to be treated for breast cancer
• The new type of imaging that is radiation-free and lower risk with better resolution and results 
• How absurd it is that we are using a method that causes cancer to screen for cancer

Resources We Mention

• The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer by Dr. Jenn Simmons
• Real Health MD - website
• PerfeQTion Imaging - imaging centers