A mobile<unk>  screening unit in New Zealand<unk>  screening refers to testing otherwise-healthy women for<unk>  in an attempt to achieve an earlier diagnosis under the assumption that early detection will improve outcomes. A number of screening tests have been employed including clinical and self<unk>  exams, mammography, genetic screening, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. A clinical or self<unk>  exam involves feeling the<unk>  for lumps or other abnormalities. Clinical<unk>  exams are performed by health care providers, while self-breast exams are performed by the person themselves. Evidence does not support the effectiveness of either type of<unk>  exam, as by the time a lump is large enough to be found it is likely to have been growing for several years and thus soon be large enough to be found without an exam. Mammographic screening for<unk>  uses X-rays to examine the<unk>  for any uncharacteristic masses or lumps. During a screening, the<unk>  is compressed and a technician takes photos from multiple angles. A general mammogram takes photos of the entire<unk> , while a diagnostic mammogram focuses on a specific lump or area of concern. A number of national bodies recommend<unk>  screening. For the average woman, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American College of Physicians recommends mammography every two years in women between the ages of 50 and 74, the Council of Europe recommends mammography between 50 and 69 with most programs using a 2-year frequency, while the European Commission recommends mammography from 45 to 75 every 2 to 3 years, and in Canada screening is recommended between the ages of 50 and 74 at a frequency of 2 to 3 years. These task force reports point out that in addition to unnecessary surgery and anxiety, the risks of more frequent mammograms include a small but significant increase in<unk>  induced by radiation. The Cochrane collaboration (2013) states that the best quality evidence neither demonstrates a reduction in cancer specific, nor a reduction in all cause mortality from screening mammography. When less rigorous trials are added to the analysis there is a reduction in mortality due to<unk>  of 0.05% (a decrease of 1 in 2000 deaths from<unk>  over 10 years or a relative decrease of 15% from<unk> . Screening over 10 years results in a 30% increase in rates of over-diagnosis and over-treatment (3 to 14 per 1000) and more than half will have at least one falsely positive test. This has resulted in the view that it is not clear whether mammography screening does more good or harm. Cochrane states that, due to recent improvements in<unk>  treatment, and the risks of false positives from<unk>  screening leading to unnecessary treatment, "it therefore no longer seems beneficial to attend for<unk>  screening" at any age. Whether MRI as a screening method has greater harms or benefits when compared to standard mammography is not known.
Breast cancer
Mastitis
Ovarian cancer
Fibrocystic breast changes
Prostate cancer
Breast disease
Skin cancer
Cervical cancer