Convergence and Divergence Around Breast Cancer Screening
Ce dossier, consacré au dépistage des cancers du sein, présente les controverses associées à la mammographie, des évaluations de son efficacité, de son coût et de son rapport bénéfices/risques ainsi que des recommandations
In 2015, contentious discussions about breast cancer screening and prevention continued, with physicians, advocates, lawmakers, and scientists all lending their voices to the debate. Many of these stakeholders focused on the need for women to be able to make more informed health care choices about when to start screening without having to worry about the cost of an insurance copayment.
The role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in these discussions has remained unchanged: to empower women with the best scientific data about the benefits and harms associated with breast cancer screening, so they can make an informed decision with their doctor.
In this issue, we released an updated final recommendation statement on screening mammography for breast cancer —a guideline developed by experts in the medical specialties that order nearly all screening mammograms in the United States. Our final recommendation is grounded in scientific evidence and informed by significant input from breast disease specialists and comments from the public. In our recommendation, we confirm that regular screening is effective in reducing breast cancer mortality for women aged 40 to 74 years and that women aged 50 to 74 years are most likely to benefit from regular screening. Women in their 40s may also benefit from screening; however, their overall likelihood of benefit from screening is lower. If a woman in her 40s places a higher value on the potential benefit than the potential harms, the scientific evidence indicates that she may want to begin screening, after discussing all of the information with her doctor. Ultimately, these recommendations support a range of choices for women on when to start screening—from beginning regular mammograms at age 40 or at some point during their 40s or waiting until age 50, when the likelihood of benefit is greater.
Annals of Internal Medicine , éditorial en libre accès, 2015