Some Iowa medical experts said today that mammograms should continue to be used as one of the tools in helping women detect breast cancer. The comments come in the wake of a Dutch study that created controversy over the importance of mammograms. Dr. Marty Wiesenfeld is the Cancer Center director for Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.He says the consensus within the medical and scientific community is so overwhelming strong in support of mammograms, that the Danish study is greatly outweighed. Dr. Wiesenfeld says there’s a lot information that shows the effectiveness of mammograms.He says the most exhaustive international study of breast cancer shows a decrease in the death rate of victims due to the use of mammograms. He says the information shows mammograms provide women with a better chance for early treatment and survival of breast cancer.He says mammograms are the starting point of treatment and not the only answer, but he says to turn their backs on 20 years of progress makes no sense. Wiesenfeld and other cancer experts made their comments in a conference call with U-S Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Harkin held the conference call to gather information for a Senate hearing he’ll hold tomorrow on the mammography issue.
