Mammograms may have little effect on the risk of death associated with breast cancer, according to a new study from researchers at Oxford University.
Researchers reviewed health records collected at part of the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme in Britain, starting in 1988. They specifically reviewed health records collected in the Oxford region, as those included specific details about causes of death including specific types of cancer. Those records were compared to records collected through the rest of Britain.
They found that overall, those women who had mammograms were no less likely to die from breast cancer than those women who had not undergone the screening. The new study comes in contrast to several previous studies that have found significant decreases in death risk associated with mammograms. The other also noted the effectiveness of the screen listed on health records could not be confirmed.
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