Breast Cancer Screening: A Need for Comparative Effectiveness Research

The chapter discusses the harms associated with mammography screening for breast cancer, including false-positives, radiation exposure, cost, and overdiagnosis. It highlights that the number of women who are harmed from mammography screening is likely to exceed those who benefit from it and provides evidence-based data to support this argument. The chapter also suggests alternative forms of screening with less risk of harm and proposes a trial comparing screening mammography with screening clinical breast examination (CBE). Furthermore, it sheds light on the increasing incidence of breast cancer worldwide and the need for effective screening methods. Finally, the chapter emphasizes the impact of overdiagnosis on patients’ quality of life, health care resources, and overall health care needs.