Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version

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Changes to This Summary (06/01/2018)

The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.

Overview

This section was renamed from Summary of the Evidence.

Mammography

Added text to state that data are limited as to how much of the reduction in mortality, seen over time from 1990 onward, is attributable to advances in imaging techniques for screening and as to how much is the result of the improved effectiveness of therapy. Also added text about one Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) study of simulation models that found that about one-third of the decrease in breast cancer mortality in 2012 was attributable to screening, with the balance attributed to treatment; in this CISNET study, the mean estimated reduction in overall breast cancer mortality rate was 49%, relative to the estimated baseline rate in 2012 if there was no screening or treatment—37% of this reduction was associated with screening, and 63% of this reduction was associated with treatment (cited Plevritis et al. as reference 78).

Added text about a population-based study in the Netherlands that showed that about one-half of all screen-detected breast cancers, including ductal carcinoma in situ, would represent overdiagnosis and is consistent with other studies, which showed substantial rates of overdiagnosis associated with screening (cited Autier et al. as reference 93).

This summary is written and maintained by the PDQ Screening and Prevention Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of NCI. The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or NIH. More information about summary policies and the role of the PDQ Editorial Boards in maintaining the PDQ summaries can be found on the About This PDQ Summary and PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database pages.

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