Redbridge and Waltham Forest Health Authority has rejected claims in a recent report that breast cancer screening is not effective.

The report, by Dutch researchers Gotzche and Olsen, suggests that mammograms are not effective in detecting breast cancer.

Anxious to reject these claims, the associate director of public health in Redbridge and Waltham Forest, Nick Pahl, said such statements could discourage women from turning up for their mammograms.

He said: "Nationally, mortality rates for breast cancer have fallen by over 20 per cent over the past decade.

"The combination of better treatment and the introduction of the national breast cancer screening programme has contributed to this decrease, although to what extent is not clear.

"Breast screening is important because there are some cancers that cannot be detected by self examination, therefore these screenings are imperative."

Professor Valerie Beral, chairwoman of the advisory committee on breast cancer screening, also criticised the report, saying: "These new analyses by Gotzche and Olsen offer no new evidence on the effectiveness of breast cancer screening."

The Medical Journal in September 2000 reported that breast cancer deaths have been reduced by 20 per cent and that this was largely because of breast screening.

There were 20 deaths from breast cancer in Redbridge and 23 in Waltham Forest in 1999. This relatively low number has largely been attributed to the effectiveness of breast screening.

Mr Pahl added: "Britain has the highest breast cancer rates in Europe. As a result the NHS launched Cancer Plan last year, a programme set up to improve local cancer services which includes more screening."

October 24, 2001 16:30