According to a new study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, mammogram screening and new drug treatments have significantly helped reduce the rate of breast cancer deaths in the United States between the years 1975 and 2000. This study combines findings from seven different research groups who set out to determine the effect of mammography and drug treatments on the rate of breast cancer deaths. Each research team developed their own statistical model which they applied to the same statistical data.
According to Dr. Donald Berry, lead author of the study, one of the primary reasons for conducting this in-depth analysis of breast cancer death rates was to confirm or refute mammography benefits. In the past, there has been controversy about the benefit of mammogram screening in the reduction of breast cancer mortality. While each research group produced a slightly different picture, each found survival benefit in the use of mammogram detection and drug treatments like Tamoxifen and chemotherapy.
According to the report, the rate of breast cancer deaths decreased by approximately 20 percent between the years 1975 and 2000. The use of mammography screen was found to account for between 28 to 65 percent of this reduction, with drug therapies accounting for the remaining percentage. While the different research teams arrived at different quantitative results (numbers) they all found the same qualitative results (meaning). Mammograms and drug therapy both work to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate.
According to the American Cancer Society, all women over age 40 and some women with increased breast cancer risk factors (such as family or personal history of breast cancer) should undergo mammography screening annually. Women may also wish to speak with their doctor about the benefits and drawbacks of breast self examinations. Though men only comprise one percent of the population that develops breast cancer, it is important for men to be aware that breast cancer is not just a female disease.