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Danish researchers say a re-analysis of
their controversial study of a year ago confirms their original
conclusions -- that there is no evidence that breast-cancer
screening with mammography saves women's lives.
When the original report was published
last year in The Lancet, it garnered widespread criticism
from breast cancer experts who questioned the researchers'
reasoning and conclusions. So researchers re-analyzed their
data according to the protocol of an international organization
that has established rigorous standards for conducting and
publishing research reviews.
But their conclusion about mammography
remains the same.
According to the researchers flawed methods
have troubled studies that have indicated mammography saves
women's lives by catching breast cancer early. Out of eight
studies they reviewed, they deem only two to be of good quality.
And
those two trials suggested that mammograms have made no dent
in breast cancer deaths.
In their original study, the researchers
cited problems with the way many mammography trials have been
conducted -- including imbalances in terms of the women's
ages and other factors that they charge skewed the study results
in favor of mammography.
Based on the current report, Lancet editor,
Richard Horton, concludes that "at present, there is
no reliable evidence from large randomized trials to support
screening mammography programs."
The
Lancet October 20, 2001;358:1340-1342,1284-1285
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