Conspiracy of Hope: The Truth About Breast Cancer Screening

For decades, women have been told that mammograms save lives. Yet many scientists say that this is in fact not true. This book reveals how breast cancer screening was introduced in the US before there was any good evidence it made any difference, and an unfounded belief in early detection caught on quickly in Canada and other developed countries. Today the evidence is starkly clear. Screening does more harm than good. Still women, and their doctors, continue to buy into a myth perpetuated by greed, fear, and wishful thinking. The book illustrates how a vortex of interests came together to make breast screening standard medical practice and why it’s so hard to persuade them they are wrong. The radiologists, the imaging machinery manufacturers, and the pink ribbon charities are all part of that story. It is a tale of back-stabbing and intrigue, of exploiting fear and hope, while distorting and misrepresenting the evidence. Or simply ignoring it.