The influence of breast screening on breast cancer incidence in England: observational study based on cancer registries and bulletins of the NHS Breast Screening Programme.

BACKGROUND: To assess the amount of breast cancer overdiagnosis associated with the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) that started in 1988 in England. METHODS: First, numbers of breast cancers in women eligible for breast screening not attending screening were estimated for the period 1995-2019, which were extrapolated to all women. A second method was based on ratios of incidence rates of breast cancers in women aged 50-69 to women aged 70 years or more in 1971-1985. The ratio was used for estimating expected numbers of cancers in 1988-2019, and 1995-2019. RESULTS: From 1995 to 2019, 506,607 non-invasive and invasive breast cancers were diagnosed among women aged 50-64 years (1995-2001) and 50-70 years (2002-2019). A first method estimated that 95,297 cancers were in excess to the number of cancers that would be expected had the NHSBSP not existed. 42,567 screen-detected non-invasive and micro-invasive cancers represented 45.8% of the total excess cancer. 18.8% of all cancers diagnosed among women invited to screening, 25.1% of cancers found in women attending screening, and 35.1% of cancers detected by screening would represent overdiagnosis. A second method estimated that, 18.0% of all cancers diagnosed in 1988-2019, and 18.2% of all cancers diagnosed in 1995-2019 among women invited to screening would represent overdiagnosis. CONCLUSION: The two independent methods obtained similar estimates of overdiagnosis. The NHS Breast Screening Programme in England is associated with substantial amount of overdiagnosis.

[Sometimes less is more. Preventing overdiagnosis by sharing decisions]. / Moins, c'est parfois mieux . Prévenir le surdiagnostic en partageant les décisions.

In this article, we will define «quaternary prevention¼, which consists in minimizing the iatrogenic effects of medical interventions, and more specifically the notion of «overdiagnosis¼. We will then discuss how a poor appreciation of the risks, on the part of both patients and clinicians, seems to fuel the phenomenon. We will discuss the interest of placing quaternary prevention within the broader framework of Shared Decision Making. We will focus on one of the stages of Shared Decision Making process, that of risk communication. Finally, we'll conclude that, fundamentally, clinicians should not only share information with patients, but also the power to decide.

Dans cet article, nous définirons la «prévention quaternaire¼, qui consiste à minimiser les effets iatrogènes de nos interventions et plus particulièrement de la notion de «surdiagnostic¼. Ensuite, nous discuterons en quoi une mauvaise appréciation des risques, chez les patients comme chez les thérapeutes, semble nourrir le phénomène. Nous discuterons de l'intérêt de replacer la prévention quaternaire dans le cadre plus large de la prise de décision médicale partagée (DMP) («Shared Decision Making¼). Nous nous attarderons sur une des étapes du processus de prise de DMP, celle de la communication des risques. Enfin nous conclurons que, fondamentalement, il s'agit pour les thérapeutes de non seulement partager l'information avec les patients, mais aussi le pouvoir de décider.

Lung cancer screening primer: Key information for primary care providers.

OBJECTIVE: To review new evidence reported since the 2016 publication of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommendations and to summarize key facets of lung cancer screening to better equip primary care providers (PCPs) in anticipation of wider implementation of the recommendations. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A new, large randomized controlled trial has been published since 2016, as have updates from 4 other trials. PubMed was searched for studies published between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2020, using search words including lung cancer screening eligibility, lung cancer screening criteria, and lung cancer screening guidelines. All information from peer-reviewed articles, reference lists, books, and websites was considered. MAIN MESSAGE: Lung cancers diagnosed at stage 4 have a 5-year survival rate of only 5% and have a disproportionate impact on those with lower socioeconomic status, rural populations, and Indigenous populations. By downstaging, or diagnosing lung cancers at an earlier and more treatable stage, lung cancer screening reduces mortality with a number needed to screen of 250 to prevent 1 death. Practical aspects of lung cancer screening are reviewed, including criteria to screen, appropriate low-dose computed tomography screening, and management of findings. Harms of screening, such as overdiagnosis and incidental findings, are discussed to allow PCPs to appropriately counsel their patients in the face of ongoing implementation of new lung cancer screening programs. CONCLUSION: Lung cancer screening, with its embedded emphasis on smoking cessation, is an excellent addition to PCPs' preventive health care tools. The implementation of formal and pilot lung cancer screening programs across Canada means that PCPs will be increasingly required to counsel their patients around the uptake of lung cancer screening.

[Diagnostic error and overdiagnosis in Primary Care. Proposals for the improvement of clinical practice family medicine]. / El error diagnóstico y sobrediagnóstico en Atención Primaria. Propuestas para la mejora de la práctica clínica en medicina de familia.

Family doctors see a wide range of patients, with a wide range of complexity, in a short time and with few diagnostic resources. This situation makes primary care professionals more vulnerable to diagnostic errors. For this reason, an adequate clinical reasoning process is the most powerful tool family doctors have to safely guide the patient care process. Considering these errors as missed opportunities for a correct diagnosis, which may cause harm to the patient, leads us as professionals to review how to improve this process. The review includes, among other aspects, identifying cognitive biases, analysing the ways in which work is organised in primary care teams, and situations in the care context that may contribute to such errors. In this article we describe the most frequent diagnostic errors and their causal factors in primary care, the impact of cognitive process failures, situations of overdiagnosis and the diagnostic and therapeutic cascades associated with them. Finally, we propose a set of tools to improve decision-making in the diagnostic process in primary care.

Is Myocardial Infarction Overdiagnosed?

This Viewpoint examines whether overdiagnosis rather than underdiagnosis may now be the dominant form of myocardial infarction misdiagnosis.

USPSTF Recommendations and Overdiagnosis.

Overdiagnosis is the concept that some cancers detected at screening would never have become clinically apparent during a woman's lifetime in the absence of screening. This could occur if a woman dies of a cause other than breast cancer in the interval between mammographic detection and clinical detection (obligate overdiagnosis) or if a mammographically detected breast cancer fails to progress to clinical presentation. Overdiagnosis cannot be measured directly. Indirect methods of estimating overdiagnosis include use of data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to evaluate breast cancer mortality, population-based screening studies, or modeling. In each case, estimates of overdiagnosis must consider lead time, breast cancer incidence trends in the absence of screening, and accurate and predictable rates of tumor progression. Failure to do so has led to widely varying estimates of overdiagnosis. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) considers overdiagnosis a major harm of mammography screening. Their 2024 report estimated overdiagnosis using summary evaluations of 3 RCTs that did not provide screening to their control groups at the end of the screening period, along with Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Network modeling. However, there are major flaws in their evidence sources and modeling estimates, limiting the USPSTF assessment. The most plausible estimates remain those based on observational studies that suggest overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening is 10% or less and can be attributed primarily to obligate overdiagnosis and nonprogressive ductal carcinoma in situ.

[What is overdiagnosis?] / Överdiagnostik ­ vad är det?

A considerable amount of spending in health care is deemed wasteful. Overdiagnosis, i.e. the labelling of a person with a diagnosis that lacks net benefit, is an entity within the overarching concept of ¼too much medicine«. Overdiagnosis includes overdetection and overdefinition. Disease mongering is a type of overdefinition with economic drivers. Overtesting and overtreatment are other aspects of ¼too much medicine«, but are not overdiagnosis per se. Medical research tends to focus on benefits of diagnostics and therapy, whereas overdiagnosis and other harms receive less attention, leading to overestimation of benefits. The international network Choosing Wisely has been successful in changing the diagnostic mindset in several countries and a Swedish campaign is under way, yielding new possibilities to counteract ¼too much medicine« and the specific problem of overdiagnosis.

Preventing the overdiagnosis of chest sepsis in children: A quality improvement project.

RATIONALE: Respiratory infections in children are one of the most common causes of hospital attendances and a common cause of sepsis. Most of these infections turn out to be viral in nature. However, the overuse of antibiotics is common and with increasing problems with antimicrobial resistance, changes to antibiotic prescribing practices need to be implemented urgently. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To test our hypothesis that a significant number of children and young people are diagnosed with and treated for 'chest sepsis' unnecessarily by evaluating adherence to British Thoracic Society and National Institute of Clinical Excellence sepsis guidelines, and to implement measures to prevent overdiagnosis. DESIGN: A baseline audit undertaken, stratified patient risk as per NICE sepsis guidelines. Data were analysed to assess adherence to these guidelines following presentation of possible lower respiratory tract infection. Questionnaires were sent to Paediatric doctors in local hospitals and focus groups were held to qualitatively evaluate the barriers and facilitators to preventing overdiagnosis. These informed implemented measures. RESULTS: The baseline audit showed 61% of children under two, who are more likely to have a viral chest infection were treated with intravenous antibiotics. Seventy-seven percent of children had blood tests and 88% had chest X-rays (CXRs) which are not routinely recommended. A total of 71% with a normal CXR had been treated with intravenous antibiotics. Barriers to preventing overdiagnosis included the over-sensitivity of the sepsis tool, anxiety and drug prescribing habits. Facilitators included visual cues and team work. Implemented changes including a revised sepsis pathway and raising awareness led to some positive changes. However, upon re-auditing there was no significant change in the number of children being overdiagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: Initial audit results supported our hypothesis that children were being overdiagnosed, over-investigated and over-treated. Despite multimodal interventions aimed at understanding the drivers underpinning these issues, the re-audit results mirrored the baseline audit despite a transient improvement following our campaign to raise awareness and further work to change physician behaviour is required.

Pink October and mammograms: when health communication misses the target. / Outubro Rosa e mamografias: quando a comunicação em saúde erra o alvo.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer and is the leading cause of death from cancer in the female population. Screening mammograms and early treatment are the most frequently used means to attempt to reduce this mortality and are promoted during Pink October, an annual awareness-raising campaign. However, recent studies have correlated the increase in screening with higher morbidity and mortality, due to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The current study assessed searches related to breast cancer and mammogram in Google Trends from 2004 to 2019 in terms of trend, seasonality, and distribution in Brazilian states. The study also evaluatedH the correlation between the number of searches in Google Trends and the number of screening mammograms. The two series showed a seasonal pattern with peaks in October, and there was an excess in tests performed outside the recommended age bracket. Pink October transmitted and popularized health information and induced behaviors related to this information, which are three desirable aspects in health communication and education. However, the campaign also generated an excess in screening mammograms and did not encourage autonomy and free and informed consent. Pink October revealed both the potential of mass communication in health and the need for messages to be aligned with the best available scientific evidence.

O câncer de mama é o tipo de câncer mais diagnosticado e a principal causa de morte por câncer na população feminina. As mamografias de rastreamento e o tratamento precoce são geralmente os meios mais utilizados na tentativa de reduzir essa mortalidade e são incentivados no Outubro Rosa, uma campanha de divulgação anual. Contudo, estudos recentes têm relacionado o aumento do rastreamento com uma maior morbimortalidade em razão do sobrediagnóstico e do sobretratamento. No presente estudo, avaliaram-se as buscas relativas ao câncer de mama e à mamografia no Google Trends, entre 2004 e 2019, em termos da tendência, da sazonalidade e da distribuição nas Unidades Federativas brasileiras. Avaliou-se também a correlação entre a quantidade de buscas no Google Trends e a quantidade de exames de rastreamento mamográfico. As duas séries tiveram um padrão sazonal com picos em outubro, e houve excesso de exames realizados fora da faixa etária recomendada. O Outubro Rosa transmitiu informações de saúde, as popularizou e induziu comportamentos relativos a informações transmitidas; três aspectos desejáveis na comunicação e na educação em saúde. Porém, gerou um excesso de mamografias de rastreamento e não incentivou a autonomia e o consentimento livre e esclarecido. O Outubro Rosa mostrou o potencial da comunicação em saúde para massas e a necessidade de que as mensagens sejam alinhadas com as melhores evidências científicas.

El cáncer de mama es el tipo de cáncer más diagnosticado y la principal causa de muerte por cáncer en la población femenina. Las mamografías de rastreo y el tratamiento precoz son generalmente los medios más utilizados en la tentativa de reducir esa mortalidad, y son incentivados en el Octubre Rosa, una campaña de divulgación anual. No obstante, estudios recientes han relacionado el aumento del rastreo con una mayor morbimortalidad, debido al sobrediagnóstico y al sobretratamiento. En el presente estudio se evaluaron las búsquedas relativas al cáncer de mama, y a la mamografía en Google Trends entre 2004 y 2019, en términos de tendencia, de estacionalidad y de su distribución en las Unidades Federativas brasileñas. Se evaluó también la correlación entre la cantidad de búsquedas en Google Trends y la cantidad de exámenes de rastreo mamográfico. Las dos series tuvieron un patrón estacional con picos en octubre, y hubo un exceso de exámenes realizados fuera de la franja etaria recomendada. Octubre Rosa transmitió información de salud, la popularizó e indujo a comportamientos relacionados con la información transmitida; tres aspectos deseables en la comunicación y educación en salud. Sin embargo, generó un exceso de mamografías de rastreo y no incentivó la autonomía y el consentimiento libre e informado. Octubre Rosa mostró el potencial de la comunicación en salud para las masas y la necesidad de que los mensajes estén alineados con mejores evidencias científicas.

Posttreatment Lyme Disease Syndrome-What It Might Be and What It Is Not.

Lyme disease is a multisystem disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi infection and accounts for well-defined manifestations, appearing either at an early or late stage. Appropriate antibiotic therapy generally leads to a favorable outcome. Still, unspecific persisting symptoms such as fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia or cognitive dysfunction are reported by several patients months to years after adequate treatment. Their underlying pathophysiologic mechanism is unclear. However, there is no evidence for microbiological persistence in these cases and attempts to resolve the symptoms by repeated or prolonged antibiotic treatment have not been convincingly successful, but they may rather be harmful. To narrow down the controversially handled entity of posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) and to avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment, case definitions have been proposed, acknowledging PTLDS as a complex of nonspecific, subjective symptoms, which are neither caused by ongoing infection nor by any other identifiable disease. PTLDS is mainly a diagnosis of exclusion and requires careful evaluation of differential diagnosis followed by counseling about optimal management in light of missing specific therapeutic options.

[Optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of dorsalgia in real-world clinical practice: the primary endpoint of the DORISS multicenter observational study]. / Optimizatsiya diagnostiki i lecheniya dorsalgii v usloviyakh real'noi klinicheskoi praktiki: pervichnaya konechnaya tochka mnogotsentrovogo nablyudatel'nogo issledovaniya DORISS.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of treatment with Ipigrix on the dynamics of clinical symptoms, neurological status, and quality of life in patients with dorsalgia of the lumbosacral spine based on the DORISS non-interventional multicenter observational study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 3563 patients with verified diagnoses of low back pain in 200 clinical centers across the Russian Federation who received comparable baseline therapy according to nosological standards were examined, some of whom additionally received oral or staged administration of Ipigrix. The primary endpoint of the study was the description of clinical and sociodemographic parameters, the consumption of medical resources, and the search for optimization of dorsalgia diagnosis in contemporary Russian outpatient neurological practice. RESULTS: The population of patients included in the study represents a homogeneous group of educated, overweight people of working age with average severity of low back pain and related dysfunction. In 91.6% of cases nonspecific mechanisms of pain syndrome development with a moderate neuropathic component prevail in the genesis of back pain, being a reason for seeking medical advice once every 2 months on average. The overdiagnosis of lumbar radiculopathies is discussed, which most probably is of combined nature due to overuse and straightforward interpretation of neuroimaging results, nonsyndromological diagnosis, and classification defects. CONCLUSION: Improving the methods of diagnosis and treatment of patients with PB will reduce the incidence and the number of relapses of pain syndrome.

Early Detection of Prostate Cancer in 2020 and Beyond: Facts and Recommendations for the European Union and the European Commission.

The burden of prostate cancer is increasing. Therefore, we need to implement a contemporary, organized, risk-stratified program for early detection to reduce both the harm from the disease and potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment, while avoiding underdiagnosis to considerably improve the harm-to-benefit ratio.