Mammography is no better than physical examination, study shows

Careful physical breast examination is as effective as screening mammography in reducing mortality from breast cancer in women aged over 50, according to a new study (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2000;92:1490-9).

The second Canadian national breast screening study found that mammography detected breast cancers earlier than physical breast examination, but surprisingly, earlier detection did not translate into a survival advantage.

The Canadian study, led by Dr Anthony Miller and colleagues at the University of Toronto, followed …