How Mammograms Improve Survival but Not Mortality

[AngryOldDem]

60. I'm familiar with this study.

It weighs heavily in my growing opinion that, for the most part, mammograms are a huge medical scam that preys on the vulnerabilities of a lot of women, and helps line the pockets of a lot of people who are more than happy to exploit that vulnerability. These people -- doctors, Komen, American Cancer Society, whoever -- shout down these studies to the point where it all just becomes more confusing white noise -- until all you hear is, "Get a mammogram or DIE" and off you go to your nearest radiology department.

And I find it more than a coincidence too, that those who knock down these studies the loudest have the most to lose (financially) if people stop listening to the hype and start actually thinking about what they're doing and why they're doing it.

If anyone is in a high risk group for any disease, then by all means, take advantage of every prescreening test there is (within reason) to keep one step ahead of it. But if your odds of getting a certain disease are low, screenings should be done by taking into consideration the pluses and minuses of family history, lifestyle, etc.

There are more ways to manage risk than just accepting the status quo du jour. And to those who credit mammograms with saving their lives, I'm glad. But that does not mean these tests need to be looked at, and looked at hard, in light of all the conflicting opinions out there.