David Wolfe writes:

Women have been told for years about the wonders of mammograms for breast cancer prevention and early detection. While mammograms have undoubtedly helped a number of women catch breast cancer early, recent studies have shown that the benefits of mammograms are vastly overestimated. In fact, a study of 89,835 women over a period of 25 years found that annual mammography in women aged 40-59 does not reduce mortality from breast cancer, and 22% of women ended up being over-diagnosed, an issue that comes with plenty of risks. So what’s the truth about mammograms?

1. They May Offer Less Benefit Than Widely Thought

A survey about U.S. women’s perceptions found that 71.5% of women said they believed that mammography reduced the risk of death from breast cancer by at least half, and 72.1% thought that at least 80 deaths would be prevented per each 1,000 women screened. Here are the actual numbers: mammography provides a risk reduction of 20%, and 1 death may be prevented per each 1,000 women screened. The survey suggests that the majority of women vastly overestimate the benefits of mammography.

2. They May Increase Breast Cancer Risk

A study published in the British Medical Journal showed that women who carry a specific gene mutation known as BRCA1/2, which has been linked to breast cancer, are particularly vulnerable to radiation-induced cancer. Researchers found that women who carried this mutation that were exposed to diagnosed radiation before the age of 30, including mammograms, were twice as likely to develop breast cancer, compared to those who did not have the mutated gene.

3. False Positives are Common and Dangerous

For every breast cancer death prevented in U.S. women over a 10-year course of annual screening, beginning at 50 years of age, 490-670 women are likely to have a false positive mammogram with repeat examination, and 70-100 women are likely to have an unnecessary biopsy. When a woman is told she has breast cancer, it causes anxiety and psychological distress, and that woman may also be subjected to a biopsy, surgery or more testing, each carrying their own set of risks.

Read more HERE.

About the Author

David Wolfe is the celebrity spokesperson for America’s #1 selling kitchen appliance: the NUTRiBULLET™ and for www.LongevityWarehouse.com. He is the co-founder of TheBestDayEver.com online health magazine and is the visionary founder and president of the non-profit The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation charity (www.ftpf.org) with a mission to plant 18 billion fruit, nut, and medicinal trees on planet Earth.