Campaign for honest evidence -based health information

The goal of breast cancer screening is to prevent women from dying from breast cancer, and for thirty years we have been told by industry that regular mammograms will save our lives. Current science shows that screening mammograms do not reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer and comes with significant harms including false positives, overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Many mainstream public health and breast cancer organizations have neglected to update their positions and educational materials with these evidence-based changes. How can we hold these national organizations accountable for pushing a scientifically invalid message? The author will describe the importance of creating and disseminating an unbiased patient-centered perspective on the evidence about mammography.  Conveying information in an accessible and visually engaging way, the brochure, Should I Have A Mammogram: Understanding the Harms and Benefits of Routine Breast Cancer Screening, is designed to provide important evidence based information for women at “average risk”. As women evaluate their health decisions, they must have access to unbiased information, free from conflict of interest and without the heavy thumb of vested interests tipping the balance. In this session, the author will explore the need 1) to shift away from early detection and focus on preventing breast cancer from developing in the first place, 2) to continue to provide balanced information so women can make informed choices and last, 3) for clear evidence-based guidelines for all communities- including underrepresenting communities.