Cancer screening Why should some women do better not do breast cancer screening?

Breast cancer screening is not recommended for low breast cancer risk

Researchers have now found that if women are at low risk for breast cancer, physicians and doctors should avoid so-called screening. Such screening for breast cancer harms women more than it benefits them, leading to unnecessary testing and treatment.

Researchers at University College London found in their current research that women with a low risk of breast cancer should not be screened for breast cancer screening. Because this often leads to overdiagnosis and stress in the affected women. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "JAMA Onkology".

Which women should go to a screening for breast cancer?

Only 72 percent of women who have been invited for a breast exam actually go to such an exam. The researchers say genetic testing and educating every woman about her individual risk could result in screening only the 70 percent of the highest risk women, while the 30 percent low risk would not have to complete a mammogram every three years.

About 300 genetic variants a risk factor

Selective screening would do more good than harm, say the experts. Not only would it reduce the overdiagnosis and stress for women, but it would also be more cost effective. It is known that there are about 300 genetic variants associated with breast cancer. The combination of lifestyle factors and breast cancer in the family of women plays an important role, explains study author Dr. Nora Pashayan from University College London. The risk, for example, increased by smoking, obesity, childlessness and the renunciation of breastfeeding, the physician continues.

Determine the general risk of breast cancer by genetic testing

Every woman should get a genetic test from her family doctor to see if she is one of the 30 percent of women with a low risk of breast cancer who do not actually need screening, the researchers report. The technology is already available in the UK, but the test is not yet supported by the NHS, experts said. The research team has been working on the risk assessment of screening for several years. In Europe and the US, studies are currently being conducted on women undergoing breast examinations. Routine genetic testing is expected to be supported by the NHS this fall. From the first of October, UK hospitals will be connected to specialized centers that can interpret DNA testing for patients, say the authors. This will allow drug treatments to be more accurately tailored to a cancer. The process could also be beneficial in breast cancer screening.

Must be examined women with a high risk more often?

If women are at low risk for breast cancer, that does not mean they can not get breast cancer and if they are at high risk, it does not mean that women need to have breast cancer. The team also explored the question of whether women with a high risk need to be screened more frequently. Some women develop a fast-growing cancer between the three-year mammograms, explain the physicians.

Women were divided into different groups

The scientists divided the subjects into three groups. One group included women who were not screened for breast cancer. A second group of women regularly completed mammograms every three years, ranging in age from 50 to 69 years. A third group included women at low risk for breast cancer who were not screened but also women at high risk. The model of the breast examination must be changed, so the conclusion of the researchers in the light of the study results. Women are individuals with different risks and lifestyles. They should receive a screening tailored to their own profile, says study author Professor Fiona Gilbert. (As)