WHO for mammograms
Breast cancer survey sets screening
age for women.
20 March 2002
HELEN PEARSON
This story is from the News and Features section of the journal
Nature
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| WHO concludes screening for
breast carcinomas is beneficial for over 50's. |
| © GettyImages |
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has added its voice to
the heated debate over when women should start having
mammograms.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - part
of WHO -convened a panel of 24 scientists this month to review
the available evidence for the health benefits of mammography.
Chaired by Bruce Armstrong of the University of Sydney, the
panel concluded that women aged 50 and over benefit from
breast-cancer screening using mammograms.
But it fell short of endorsing the recommendation made last
month by the US health department that women over 40 should have
regular mammograms1.
Some researchers still question whether the total number of
lives saved by screening outweigh those lost as a result of
treatment - even in older women.
But the IARC hopes that its final report, to be published
within three months, will help to inform policy-makers around
the world who are implementing or refining screening programmes. |
