title: [Benefits and limitations of mammography].
abstract: The literature on screening mammography provides ample opportunity for doubt (the sceptics) and dogma (the screening zealots), and can be interpreted to prove both benefit and harm. The benefit of mammography screening, if any, is modest and the balance between beneficial (potentially, a 20% relative reduction in breast cancer mortality with no significant benefit on all-cause mortality) and harmful (physical and psychological morbidity related to the 15-40% missed cancers and the 80-90% false-positive diagnoses) effects is still delicate. The mammogram alone is a modest weapon. Concurrent clinical breast examination is mandatory. Women that are concerned about breast cancer should be fully informed of the potential benefits and risks of screening mammography. These women should benefit from mammography with concurrent clinical breast examination, and possible whole-breast ultrasound in heterogeneously dense and extremely dense breast patterns.
authors.affiliation: Service de Sénologie, CHU Sart Tilman.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lifrange
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bleret
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Desreux
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Dondelinger
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foidart
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gaspard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Van Cauwenberge
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colin
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography