Mammography as a screening tool - A patient's perspective
First published on Bizcommunity on 12 October 2021. Within South Africa, healthcare professionals registered 15,491 new breast cancer cases last year, making it the leading carcinoma in females across population groups. Researchers estimate that, by 2040, the number will increase to more than 22,000 new cases . Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in South African women, with nearly 5,000 deaths recorded in 2020. The mammogram debate - diagnostic or screening tool? Research published in the October 2018 issue of the SA Journal of Radiology states that "screening has been shown through studies to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate by 30% – 40%." Nevertheless, the National Department of Health's Breast Cancer Control and Prevention Policy (June 2017) questions the value of screening mammography and that it "should not be introduced unless resources are available to ensure effective and reliable screening of at least 70 per cent of