Fwd...Mammograms cause breast cancer..ALERT

[Guest guest]

MAMMOGRAMS CAUSE BREAST CANCER

(AND OTHER CANCER FACTS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW)

 

By Dawn Prate

News Target

Monday, August 15, 2005

 

 

http://www.NewsTarget.com/010886.html

 

 

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among American women between the

ages of 44 and 55. Dr. Gofinan, in his book, Preventing Breast Cancer, cites

this startling statistic along with an in-depth look at mammographic

screening, an early-detection practice that agencies like the American

Cancer Society <http://www.cancer.org/> recommend to women of all age

groups. According to most health experts, catching a tumor in its early

stages increases a woman's chances of survival by at least 17 percent.

 

 

The most common method for early detection is mammography. A mammogram is an

X-ray picture of your breast that can reveal tumor growths otherwise

undetectable in a physical exam. Like all x-rays, mammograms use doses of

ionizing radiation to create this image. Radiologists then analyze the image

for any abnormal growths. Despite continuous improvements and innovations,

mammography has garnered a sizable opposition in the medical community

because of an error rate that is still high and the amount of harmful

radiation used in the procedure.

 

 

Effectiveness of Mammography

 

 

Is mammography an effective tool for detecting tumors? Some critics say no.

In a Swedish study of 60,000 women, 70 percent of the mammographically

detected tumors weren't tumors at all. These "false positives" aren't just

financial and emotional strains, they may also lead to many unnecessary and

invasive biopsies. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of all positive mammograms do

not, upon biopsy, show any presence of cancer.

 

 

At the same time, mammograms also have a high rate of missed tumors, or

"false negatives." Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, in his book, The Politics Of

Cancer, claims that in women ages 40 to 49, one in four instances of cancer

is missed at each mammography. The National Cancer Institute (NCI)

<http://www.cancer.gov/> puts the false negative rate even higher at 40

percent among women ages 40-49. National Institutes of Health

<http://www.nih.gov/> spokespeople also admit that mammograms miss 10

percent of malignant tumors in women over 50. Researchers have found that

breast tissue is denser among younger women, making it difficult to detect

tumors. For this reason, false negatives are twice as likely to occur in

premenopausal mammograms.

 

 

Radiation Risks

 

 

Many critics of mammography cite the hazardous health effects of radiation.

In 1976, the controversy over radiation and mammography reached a saturation

point. At that time mammographic technology delivered five to 10 rads

(radiation-absorbed doses) per screening, as compared to 1 rad in current

screening methods. In women between the ages of 35 and 50, each rad of

exposure increased the risk of breast cancer by one percent, according to

Dr. Frank Rauscher, then-director of the NCI.

 

 

According to Russell L. Blaylock, MD, one estimate is that annual

radiological breast exams increase the risk of breast cancer by two percent

a year. So over 10 years the risk will have increased 20 percent. In the

1960s and 70s, women, even those who received 10 screenings a year, were

never told the risk they faced from exposure. In the midst of the 1976

radiation debate, Kodak, a major manufacturer of mammography film, took out

full-page ads in scientific journals entitled About breast cancer and

X-rays: A hopeful message from industry on a sober topic.

 

 

Despite better technology and decreased doses of radiation, scientists still

claim mammography is a substantial risk. Dr. John W. Gofman, an authority on

the health effects of ionizing radiation, estimates that 75 percent of

breast cancer could be prevented by avoiding or minimizing exposure to the

ionizing radiation. This includes mammography, x-rays and other medical and

dental sources.

 

 

Since mammographic screening was introduced, the incidence of a form of

breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased by 328

percent. Two hundred percent of this increase is allegedly due to

mammography. In addition to harmful radiation, mammography may also help

spread existing cancer cells due to the considerable pressure placed on the

woman's breast during the procedure. According to some health practitioners,

this compression could cause existing cancer cells to metastasize from the

breast tissue.

 

 

Cancer research has also found a gene, called oncogene AC, that is extremely

sensitive to even small doses of radiation. A significant percentage of

women in the United States have this gene, which could increase their risk

of mammography-induced cancer. They estimate that 10,000 A-T carriers will

die of breast cancer this year due to mammography.

 

 

The risk of radiation is apparently higher among younger women. The NCI

released evidence that, among women under 35, mammography could cause 75

cases of breast cancer for every 15 it identifies. Another Canadian study

found a 52 percent increase in breast cancer mortality in young women given

annual mammograms. Dr. Samuel Epstein also claims that pregnant women

exposed to radiation could endanger their fetus. He advises against

mammography during pregnancy because "the future risks of leukemia to your

unborn child, not to mention birth defects, are just not worth it."

Similarly, studies reveal that children exposed to radiation are more likely

to develop breast cancer as adults.

 

 

Navigating the Statistics

 

 

While the number of deaths caused by breast cancer has decreased, the

incidence of breast cancer is still rising. Since 1940, the incidence of

breast cancer has risen by one to two percent every year. Between 1973 and

1991, the incidence of breast cancer in females over 65 rose nearly 40

percent in the United States.

 

 

Some researchers attribute this increase to better detection technologies;

i.e., as the number of women screened for breast cancer rises, so does the

number of reported cases. Other analysts say the correlation between

mammographic screening and increases in breast cancer is much more ominous,

suggesting radiation exposure is responsible for the growing number of

cases. While the matter is still being debated, Professor Sandra Steingraber

offers ways to navigate these statistics. According to Steingraber, the rise

in breast cancer predates the introduction of mammograms as a common

diagnostic tool. In addition, the groups of women in whom breast cancer

incidence is ascending most swiftly -- blacks and the elderly -- are also

least likely to get regular mammograms.

 

 

The majority of health experts agree that the risk of breast cancer for

women under 35 is not high enough to warrant the risk of radiation exposure.

Similarly, the risk of breast cancer to women over 55 justifies the risk of

mammograms. The statistics about mammography and women between the ages of

40 and 55 are the most contentious. A 1992 Canadian National Breast Cancer

Study showed that mammography had no positive effect on mortality for women

between the ages of 40 and 50. In fact, the study seemed to suggest that

women in that age group are more likely to die of breast cancer when

screened regularly.

 

 

Burton Goldberg, in his book, Alternative Medicine, recommends that women

under 50 avoid screening mammograms, although the American Cancer Society

encourages mammograms every two years for women ages 40 to 49. Trying to

settle this debate, a 1997 consensus panel appointed by the NIH ruled that

there was no evidence that mammograms for this age group save lives; they

may even do more harm than good. The panel advises women to weigh the risks

with their doctors and decide for themselves.

 

 

New Screening Technologies

 

 

While screening is an important step in fighting breast cancer, many

researchers are looking for alternatives to mammography. Burton Goldberg

totes the safety and accuracy of new thermography technologies. Able to

detect cancers at a minute physical stage of development, thermography does

not use x-rays, nor is there any compression of the breast. Also important,

new thermography technologies do not lose effectiveness with dense breast

tissue, decreasing the chances of false-negative results.

 

 

Some doctors are now offering digital mammograms. Digital mammography is a

mammography system in which x-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors

that convert x-rays into electric signals. Though radiation is still used,

digital mammography requires a much smaller dose. The electrical signals are

used to produce images that can be electronically manipulated; a physician

can zoom in, magnify and optimize different parts of breast tissue without

having to take an additional image.

 

 

..........

 

 

REFERENCES:

 

 

THE EXPERTS SPEAK ON MAMMOGRAMS AND BREAST CANCER:

http://www.NewsTarget.com/010886.html

 

 

-----------

 

 

PREVIOUS NHNE NEWS LIST ARTICLES:

 

 

BREAST CANCER IS LINKED TO USE OF ANTIBIOTICS (2/18/2004):

nhnenews/message/6774

 

 

X-RAYS 'CAUSE HUNDREDS OF CANCER CASES A YEAR' (1/30/2004):

nhnenews/message/6682

 

 

DEODORANTS PLUS SHAVING LINKED TO BREAST CANCER (1/26/2004):

nhnenews/message/6665

 

 

DEODORANTS COULD LEAD TO BREAST CANCER (1/13/2004):

nhnenews/message/6589

 

 

EXERCISE MAY CUT BREAST CANCER RISK (9/11/2003):

nhnenews/message/5930

 

 

MOTHERS WHO DON'T BREASTFEED 'AT GREATER RISK OF BREAST CANCER' (7/18/2002):

nhnenews/message/3435

 

 

BRA THAT DETECTS BREAST CANCER (5/27/2002):

nhnenews/message/3215

 

 

S.F. BAY AREA HAS WORLD'S HIGHEST BREAST CANCER RATE (1/31/2002):

nhnenews/message/2646

 

 

SOUND WAVES COULD REPLACE BREAST BIOPSIES (8/4/2001):

nhnenews/message/1739

 

 

CAN WEARING A BRA KILL YOU? (7/28/2001):

nhnenews/message/1729

 

 

MORE ON WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER (5/22/2001):

nhnenews/message/1504

 

 

WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER? (5/21/2001):

nhnenews/message/1500

 

 

------------

 

 

NHNE News List:

 

 

To , send a message to:

nhnenews-

 

 

To , send a message to:

nhnenews

 

 

To review current posts:

nhnenews/messages

 

 

Published by David Sunfellow

NewHeavenNewEarth (NHNE)

eMail: nhne

NHNE Website: http://www.nhne.com/

Phone: (928) 282-6120

Fax: (815) 642-0117

 

Reach out and touch someone with your Love & Gratitude..

~Ashok