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January 28, 2002
Editor
New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036-3959
Dear Editor:
We, the undersigned,
representing a broad spectrum of concerned health
organizations, are responding to coverage in your
paper and the resulting public discussion
questioning the value of mammography. This
discussion has been stimulated by a recent report
published in the British medical journal, The
Lancet, which concluded there was no scientific
support for breast cancer screening with
mammography.
Women and their
health care professionals should know that numerous
independent expert groups in the U.S. and Europe
have repeatedly subjected the world’s major clinical
studies of mammography to careful scientific
scrutiny, and also have carefully evaluated the
analysis published in the Lancet. While the
existing studies of mammography screening have known
limitations and even some flaws, the evidence as a
whole solidly supports reduced breast cancer
mortality rates due to screening mammography. Early
breast cancer detection means a greater chance for
successful treatment and a greater range of
treatment options.
We have grave
concerns that these public debates have already
begun to erode the confidence in mammography that
has been built up over the past two decades. While
mammography is not a perfect tool, it is effective
and has contributed significantly to the declines in
breast cancer mortality since 1990. In fact, there
will be many thousands fewer breast cancer deaths
among U.S. women this year due to the combined
progress we’ve made in early detection and improved
therapy. If women are dissuaded from getting regular
mammograms, lives will be lost.
We strongly urge
women to continue to follow the advice of their
physicians and the leading medical organizations.
Our organizations will continue to monitor new
scientific research in order to offer the best
advice to women and their physicians.
This letter is
cosigned by the following organizations:
American Academy of
Family Physicians
American Cancer Society
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Preventive Medicine
American College of Surgeons
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Cancer Research Foundation of America
National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
National Medical Association
Oncology Nursing Society
Society of Gynecological Oncology
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
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