"乳腺X光攝影檢查術可能使女性經歷不必要的治療"

這種廣泛使用的乳癌掃描檢測使每一名女性獲救的同時就會有另外3名女性被過度診斷。

在台灣，乳癌是女性癌症最常見的一種，必須早期治療才能拯救生命。乳腺X光攝影被視為最好的檢測上之一，也因此政府提供50歲以上婦女免費檢查。但一份最新英國研究顯示，這種檢查方式或許沒有看起來有用。

乳腺X光攝影是種能偵測出乳房腫塊的X光。測試的缺點在於其無法辨識腫瘤為良性或癌症，因此造成為數眾多的婦女被醫生過度診斷為癌症病人。這些婦女承受不必要的醫療過程，例如手術、化療和放射療法，以及其帶來的副作用。

研究顯示，每個進行乳腺X光攝影檢測的人就有1%的機會會被過度診斷，這引起英國醫療圈對此檢測方式安全性嚴重質疑。許多癌症公益組織所發表的聲明依然支持這種檢測方式的必要性，但強調應告知女性此項掃描檢測可能的好處和傷害。

(Health) Mammography Can Cause Women to Undergo Unnecessary Treatment

This widely used screening test for breast cancer caused 3 women to be over-diagnosed for every life it saved.

In Taiwan, breast cancer is the most common form of female cancer and early treatment is necessary to save lives. Mammography is considered one of the best tests for this so the government offers it for free to women over 50 years old. But a recent UK study shows that this procedure may not be as helpful as it appears to be.

Mammography is a type of x-ray that allows lumps in the breast to be detected. The weakness of this test lies in its inability to identify cancerous from benign lumps, thus causing a significant number of women to be over-diagnosed as cancer patients by their doctors. These women would then suffer the experience and side effects of unnecessary medical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The study showed that every person that undergoes this procedure will have a 1% chance of being over-diagnosed and this raised serious questions in the UK medical community about the safety of this procedure. Statements from several cancer charities still support the need for this procedure but stressed that women should be informed about the possible benefits and harm of this screening test.

想聽語音請上FunDay