Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters Breast cancer screening review

An appeal to Mike Richards

BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d7535 (Published 22 November 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d7535
  1. Michael Baum, professor emeritus of surgery1
  1. 1University College London, London, UK
  1. michael{at}mbaum.freeserve.co.uk

In November 2010, 27 international experts wrote a letter to the BMJ which reviewed emerging evidence on screening mammography.1 The evidence challenged the status quo by suggesting that estimates of benefit had been exaggerated and those of harm minimised. Our leading concern related to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of breast cancer detected at screening. I was therefore delighted when Mike Richards at last …

View Full Text