Mammograms can find breast cancer, true, but cost-benefit question remains
Mammograms can save lives. We knew that before, and we definitely know it now. A three-decade Swedish study — the longest mammography study ever — found that inviting women to get regular mammograms cut the risk of death during the study period by at least 30%. In the world of medicine, that counts as a big success.
But we also know — without question — that mammograms are imperfect. The National Cancer Institute estimates that the tests miss up to 20% of all cancers. And by any measure, it takes a whole lot of screening to save a life. The researchers behind the Swedish study estimated that it takes 1,000 to 1,500 mammograms to prevent a single breast cancer death. Given that a bargain-rate mammogram costs about $100, that’s a big investment.