Helen Cordes: Rethink Pink NOW! Saner Solutions to Breast Cancer, Part 2

Helen Cordes: Rethink Pink NOW! Saner Solutions to Breast Cancer, Part 2: "

[Part 2]

Reconsider Cancer Detection

Mammograms are important, and screening mammograms are particularly crucial when they're the only way to catch women whose poor access to health care and information results in cancer detection at a more advanced stage. Women at high risk because of genetic and family history reasons will require more surveillance. But as the ACS announcement about the 'overpromised' benefits of mammograms indicates, we need to reassess our reliance on them. The ACS announcement came on the heels of an analysis from the University of California at San Francisco of overtreatment for both breast and prostate cancer, which suggests that the strategy now should focus on distinguishing between harmless and destructive breast conditions, and reducing treatment for low-risk conditions.