A pair of Swiss physicians argue that while the Swiss Medical Board has recommended a move away from systematic mammography screening, there still isn't enough evidence to abolish screening programs.
In an online editorial in JAMA Internal Medicine, Arnaud Chiolero, MD, PhD, of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, and Nicolas Rodondi, MD, MAS, of the Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital say that while they believe there is a need to continue with systematic screening, steps can be taken to improve care.
For example, they argue that physicians, when talking to their patients, should do more to acknowledge that there are harms associated with mammography. They also called for more trials, since many of the existing studies on mammography are decades old.
Earlier this year, the Swiss Medical Board recommended that Switzerland introduce no new mammography screening programs and phase out existing programs because of concerns that the benefits of mammography don't outweigh the harms. Article