CAR slams recent report, supports use of mammograms

OTTAWA – Women should continue to seek breast cancer screening using mammography, a form of x-ray of the breast, says Dr. Jacques Lévesque (pictured), president of the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR), the national association representing radiologists in Canada.

Results from the Canadian National Breast Screening Study (CNBSS) published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) concluded that annual mammography does not reduce breast cancer deaths. CAR is very concerned that women will feel there is no need to pursue breast cancer screening, when in fact, several other breast cancer screening reports indicate the opposite.

The CAR joins the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging, who also have concerns that the report is an “incredibly misleading analysis based on the deeply flawed and widely discredited Canadian National Breast Screening Study (CNBSS). The results of this BMJ study, and others resulting from the CNBSS trial, should not be used to create breast cancer screening policy as this would place a great many women at increased risk of dying unnecessarily from breast cancer.”

The recently released CAR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards for Breast Imaging and Intervention, as well as referral guidelines for medical imaging for physicians, encourages women to speak with their physician about the right time to begin mammography exams.

The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging joint statement is available at http://www.acr.org/News-Publications/News/News-Articles/2014/ACR/BMJ-Article-on-Breast-Cancer-Screening-Effectiveness-Incredibly-Flawed-and-Misleading.

About the CAR

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) is the national voice of radiology, committed to promoting the highest standards in patient-centered imaging, lifelong learning and research. Radiologists are an integral part of the healthcare team. For more information, see www.car.ca.