Discuss the benefits , limitations and methodology of population screening for breast cancer - Essay Example

The subject of whether breast cancer screening is more harmful than helpful has fuelled controversy and debate from various quotas for almost, as long as, the technology to do it has been in existence. The dominant question is often; whether the benefits of the procedure outweigh the perceived negative effects that may result from the process. These harms include over diagnosis, where women are treated for cancer while it might not have been clinically manifested in their lifetimes; conversely, several benefits have been attributed to the screening prominently among them, prevention of death.

The rationale used to justify screening is usually because it has been successful in detecting breast cancer in the screened population, especially in view of the increased rates of cancer in the last few years. Experts on the subject project that because of the mass tests, the risk will go down and the cancer rates eventually reduced due to early detection and that should be the confirmation of the importance of screening (Cancer Research UK, 2012). The primary focus of this paper will be an examination of the process and principles of screening for breast cancer in populations through histopathology, and then discuss the benefits and harms that are likely to result.

Professionals in the health community share the belief that early cancer diagnosis translates into a better chance for mitigation, nonetheless, not everyone who has signs of cancer will benefit from the diagnosis since the cancer my regress without treatment. Thus, to ensure the potential benefits outweigh the harm, there must exist sufficient evidence from randomized tests or trials to indicate that a specific population will benefit from cancer screening, therefore certain principles must be followed before public screening is allowed.

There must be significant burden of the disease in the