Re: Why do mammograms ...

Having already provided sufficient in the way of links to professionally run sites, I see no point in discussing the matter with you any further and, after all, I did offer you the right to have the last word!

Re: Why do mammograms ...

Sorry JBR but I don't think that is good enough. You provided links to your wife' s own website which after I had posted up the irrefutable research, you then conceded was out of date. Your wife's site makes no mention whatsoever of the research the entire rest of the world has seen, read, digested, agreed with and reacted to. One can not with any degree of reasonableness put credence to that website imho.

You also provided a link to breastcancernow.org, which is a charity raising funds for cancer research and therefore not in any sense of the imagination a professional research body itself.

You refute the clear evidence provided by the most respected medical research body on the planet and yet have provided no evidence or research yourself to support that refutation.

You are welcome to your view as all are. However without any shred of factual evidence to support it one can only deem it emotional anecdotal content.

To get to the truth of these kind of medical issues we need to remain objective and look at independent and reliable evidence of which there is plenty on this particular topic.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

Realist, on you second point I apologize for using the word homeopathy, when what I really meant was the natural cures that you want people to use.

On the first point, I cannot believe that the Cochrane Institute is as good as they would have us believe, until somebody explains to me how & why such a large business can be set up and work without making a profit.
How do they pay the staff who work there without selling the information they work on?

Is there any proof that the owner & his staff do not have any financial interest in the alternative products that they recommend?

Nobody works for nothing, but profits can be easily hidden, so I prefer to listen to doctors who have medical qualifications & abide by the Hippocratic Oath.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

Twink, the Cochrane Institute publish their financial reports as they are a charity
http://www.cochrane.org/sites/defaul...dy_4mayl17.pdf

Re: Why do mammograms ...

All the info you are looking for is on the Cochrane website. It explains how they are funded, who funds them, who they absolutely will not accept funding from and so on. The organisation has 1000s of volunteers from a wide variety of medical fields and spread all over the world.

So, Cochrane's accounts are freely accessible and published every year. They also hold an AGM every year. All above board and examinable.

Here's their web page that highlights their funders and partners.

http://www.cochrane.org/about-us/our...s-and-partners

Might surprise you to learn that the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (UK), which is the research arm of the NHS, is the largest funder, contributing over £1m.

To be fair, you should also know that just about anyone who has ever worked in the NHS knows very well who and what the Cochrane Institute is. It's part of their training, it's where they go to for qualified information. Where you & I would not think twice about going to the Yellow Pages for info on businesses, NHS health workers equally wouldn't think twice about going to the Cochrane database of systematic studies. My friend and neighbour is a long standing ward sister and knows all about Cochrane.

Here's the Cochrane Financial Report/Accounts for 2016

http://www.cochrane.org/sites/defaul...d_dec_2016.pdf


Cochrane's Statements on Independence

"Cochrane works collaboratively with partners and funders to produce and disseminate authoritative, relevant, and reliable health evidence. Our funding and partner relationships reflect our commitment to help improve the world's health through high quality, up-to-date research evidence, and to make this information accessible and easy to understand.

Cochrane's central organizational income in 2017 grew strongly to £8.67 million, a 19% increase from 2016 (£6.8 million GBP). Much of this income is derived from the proceeds of the Cochrane Library and other Cochrane products. It is invested back into the organization by our Governing Board to deliver the goals of our Strategy to 2020.

Our global network of Groups are supported by national governments, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, universities, hospitals, private foundations, and personal donations worldwide. The direct income in 2017 for Cochrane Groups was £15,606,328 (see below for more details).

Cochrane is able to generate authoritative and reliable information because we never accept commercial or conflicted funding. This policy means Cochrane contributors can work freely, unconstrained by commercial or financial interests."


As a healthy cynic and sceptic this situation is one I will always keep an eye on. There will always exist the possibility and risk that at some stage the strong willed and principled leaders of Cochrane might crumble under pressure, give in to Big Pharma threats or begin to accept bribes and payments to skew research in their favour. It is up to us to monitor that any way we can and compare outputs and study results with those of others.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

They are registered in the UK as both a charity AND as a Limited Liability Company.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

Thank you Missy! Now all I need to find out is where they said that mammograms are more likely to give you cancer, than locate an existing one, so I can write to the NHS and ask why they use mammograms.
I feel that there is little point in Realist doing research, if he is not going to take it further than posting on a Forum.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

They publish all their papers as well so it should be there for all to read, don't know if you have to pay or not

Re: Why do mammograms ...

years ago that might have been relevant. Today it isn't. GPs are most certainly not imho abiding by the Hippocratic oath. For example, they pushed the flu vaccines which were loaded with the toxic substance Thimerosal (50% Mercury) for years before enough pressure was placed n manufacturers to remove it from the vaccines. GPs do as they are told and are under massive pressure to keep their surgeries in business. Flu jabs are a huge part of their yearly income. In fact it's rather like the bookies. The Grand National race is a pinnacle event every year which sees massive numbers of people laying bets who might not participate in any other horse betting at any other time. For some bookies that single race is their main yearly income boost. The year the Grand National "failed" was a disaster for bookies financially.

In the same way, every year GP surgeries go through this mass push to try and deliver as many flu jabs as they can. They earn a lot of money from it. The research, as you know, has confirmed that what they are selling is snake oil, utterly useless for purpose, but every year they engage in this mass exercise to perform as many vaccinations as humanly possible even to the extent that some GP surgeries threaten their patients saying if they don't have the jab they will be struck of the membership list.

All of this is about as far from the Hippocratic Oath as one can get. It's profit before health, willingness to turn a blind eye to research and fact for the sake of their business.

Re: Why do mammograms ...

Cochrane report is here:

http://www.cochrane.org/CD001877/BRE...th-mammography

"for every 2000 women invited for screening throughout 10 years, one will avoid dying of breast cancer and 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed if there had not been screening, will be treated unnecessarily. Furthermore, more than 200 women will experience important psychological distress including anxiety and uncertainty for years because of false positive findings."

Note that they are not saying that mammograms are more likely to give you cancer, they are saying that mammograms are completely unreliable and cause more people to be falsely diagnosed and treated that they actually help people avoid cancer. i.e. Mammography creates Breast Cancer Patients rather than creates cancer itself