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Breast screening programme in the UK criticised | Breast screening programme in the UK criticised |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The national breast screening programme may be harming more women than it helps, according to evidence presented to an official review. | The national breast screening programme may be harming more women than it helps, according to evidence presented to an official review. |
A prominent international specialist has recommended that the national screening programme should be scrapped. | A prominent international specialist has recommended that the national screening programme should be scrapped. |
Prof Peter Gotzsche said 10 women are harmed by unnecessary treatment for every woman saved. | Prof Peter Gotzsche said 10 women are harmed by unnecessary treatment for every woman saved. |
His views have been described as "gravely mistaken" by one doctor involved in screening. | His views have been described as "gravely mistaken" by one doctor involved in screening. |
Prof Gotzsche, who holds the chair of clinical research design and analysis at the University of Copenhagen, is part of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international network of medical specialists. | Prof Gotzsche, who holds the chair of clinical research design and analysis at the University of Copenhagen, is part of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international network of medical specialists. |
He said: "Screening detects a lot of cancers that are not dangerous. We call them overdiagnosed cancers, they are pretty harmless. | He said: "Screening detects a lot of cancers that are not dangerous. We call them overdiagnosed cancers, they are pretty harmless. |
"But many of these are treated by a mastectomy so when you introduce screening, you have more mastectomies. So seen over longer there are more mastectomies in the screened areas. | "But many of these are treated by a mastectomy so when you introduce screening, you have more mastectomies. So seen over longer there are more mastectomies in the screened areas. |
"So women have seriously been misinformed throughout 30 years. It's a public health scandal." | "So women have seriously been misinformed throughout 30 years. It's a public health scandal." |
The screening programme has been defended by those involved in carrying it out. | The screening programme has been defended by those involved in carrying it out. |
They concede that it is not a perfect science, but insist it does save lives. | They concede that it is not a perfect science, but insist it does save lives. |
Prof Andy Evans of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee said: "There is a high false positive rate because trying to tell a small cancer from a bit of normal tissue is ridiculously difficult and we can only do it as well as we do, if we read 5,000 films a year, go on lots of training and have our performance assessed on a regular basis. | Prof Andy Evans of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee said: "There is a high false positive rate because trying to tell a small cancer from a bit of normal tissue is ridiculously difficult and we can only do it as well as we do, if we read 5,000 films a year, go on lots of training and have our performance assessed on a regular basis. |
"We are probably the best policed and audited group of doctors in the UK and so it's a fault of the technology that screening mammography is in no way perfect, far from perfect but it saves lives and it is the best we have at the moment." | "We are probably the best policed and audited group of doctors in the UK and so it's a fault of the technology that screening mammography is in no way perfect, far from perfect but it saves lives and it is the best we have at the moment." |
Prof Evans disputes Prof Gotzsche's assessment of the proportion of "false positives". | Prof Evans disputes Prof Gotzsche's assessment of the proportion of "false positives". |
He added: ""In my opinion you save at least two women's lives for every one case you over-diagnose. | He added: ""In my opinion you save at least two women's lives for every one case you over-diagnose. |
"I think if we stopped the programme literally thousands of women would die of breast cancer completely unnecessarily and I think he is gravely mistaken." | "I think if we stopped the programme literally thousands of women would die of breast cancer completely unnecessarily and I think he is gravely mistaken." |
About two million women are screened every year in the UK. | About two million women are screened every year in the UK. |
The review into the effectiveness of the breast screening programme was commissioned by Cancer Research UK and the Department of Health and is due to report back on Tuesday. | The review into the effectiveness of the breast screening programme was commissioned by Cancer Research UK and the Department of Health and is due to report back on Tuesday. |
The Scottish government says it will consider any recommendations that are made. | The Scottish government says it will consider any recommendations that are made. |
A BBC Scotland investigation into the breast screening programme is broadcast on Sunday 28 October at 16:30 on BBC Radio Scotland. | A BBC Scotland investigation into the breast screening programme is broadcast on Sunday 28 October at 16:30 on BBC Radio Scotland. |