Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women
Authors: Lars J. Grimm
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters17 September 2019Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk WomenLars J. Grimm, MD, MHSLars J. Grimm, MD, MHSDuke University, Durham, North Carolina (L.J.G.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L19-0472 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:I was pleased by the ACP guidance statement's (1) strong emphasis on shared decision making. Shared decision making is one of the great advances of modern medicine that has shifted health care away from the paternalistic model of the past toward a new model that educates and empowers patients to actively engage in their health care decisions. However, I worry that the narrative of this guidance statement has created a false choice for patients that may do more harm than good.The guidance statement notes, “In average-risk women aged 40 to 49 years, clinicians should discuss whether ...References1. Qaseem A, Lin JS, Mustafa RA, et al. Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Screening for breast cancer in average-risk women: a guidance statement from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019. [PMID: 30959525] doi:10.7326/M18-2147 LinkGoogle Scholar2. World Health Organization. WHO Position Paper on Mammography Screening. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014. Google Scholar3. Myers ER, Moorman P, Gierisch JM, et al. Benefits and harms of breast cancer screening: a systematic review. JAMA. 2015;314:1615-34. [PMID: 26501537] doi:10.1001/jama.2015.13183 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Arias E, Xu J. United States life tables, 2015. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2018;67:1-64. [PMID: 30707669] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (L.J.G.)Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L19-0472. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoScreening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women: A Guidance Statement From the American College of Physicians Amir Qaseem , Jennifer S. Lin , Reem A. Mustafa , Carrie A. Horwitch , Timothy J. Wilt , and Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women Amanda Lenderink-Carpenter Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women Jennifer S. Lin , Reem A. Mustafa , Timothy J. Wilt , Carrie A. Horwitch , and Amir Qaseem Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women Michelle V. Lee , Debbie L. Bennett , and Catherine M. Appleton Screening for Breast Cancer in Average-Risk Women Kelly W. Biggs Metrics 17 September 2019Volume 171, Issue 6Page: 450KeywordsBiopsyBreast cancerCancer screeningConflicts of interestDecision makingDisclosureGlobal healthHealth careMammographyMortality ePublished: 17 September 2019 Issue Published: 17 September 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...