On the documentary “Boobs: The War on Women’s Breasts”
The documentary discusses the use of mammograms for breast cancer screening, and the associated harms. It covers topics including radiation exposure from mammograms, false positives/negatives leading to unnecessary procedures, overdiagnosis and overtreatment of non-threatening cancers, conflicts of interest in the medical industry, and alternative screening methods such as thermography and ultrasound.
A key point made is that mammograms use radiation equivalent to at least 100 chest x-rays, accumulating over a woman’s lifetime, and directly causing DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Studies show screening mammograms have not reduced breast cancer mortality overall, and may increase deaths in some groups. Yet they remain the standard of care, with doctors and industry interests reluctant to change protocols. Up to 30% of early detected cancers would never have progressed or impacted health, leading to traumatic and risky overtreatment.
