Fw: CPR in NY Times on mammograms

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message ----- From: Zuckerman

Martha Murdock

Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 10:52 PM

Subject: CPR in NY Times on mammograms

Dear Friends,

Our letter to the editor was printed in Tuesday's New York Times, and I thought it might interest you (see below). We have more info on mammograms on our website: www.center4policy.org

Best wishes,

Zuckerman, Ph.D.National Center for Policy Research (CPR) for Women & Families1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20006202 223-4000

New York Times, September 10, 2002

Questioning the Treatment

To the Editor:Re "New Mammogram Studies Divided on Benefits" (Sept. 3):

A major question involving the controversy over mammograms is, What can be done to decrease the use of radical surgery to remove noninvasive breast cancers?

Overly aggressive treatment is the major disadvantage of mammography, but it is a fault of the physicians doing the treatment, not of the mammograms themselves.

Stage Zero breast cancers, which are noninvasive cancers or abnormalities that are not even cancer, are sometimes treated as aggressively as invasive cancer.

Many of these women would live very long lives and never need radical surgery, and some would need no surgery at all. It's time to question and consider how to improve treatment, not just screening.

DR. DIANA ZUCKERMANWashingtonThe writer is president of the National Center for Policy Research for Women & Families.