VOA HEALTH REPORT - Debate Over New Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening
2009.11.18-健康报道--关于乳腺癌筛查新指导方针的争论
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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是VOA特殊英语健康报道。
On Monday, an influential [ˌɪnfluˈenʃəl] group of medical experts released new guidelines on testing for breast cancer . The guidelines are from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Its members are appointed by the government but its recommendations are independent.
周一，一个由医疗专家们组成的颇具影响力的组织发布了一个关于乳腺癌检查的新指导方针。这一指导方针来自美国预防服务工作组。他们的成员都是由政府任命的，但是他们的推荐性建议是具有独立性的。
The new guidelines appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
这一新的指导方针刊登在国际医学记录中。
One of the biggest changes is that the task force now advises against mammograms for most women under fifty years old. In two thousand two the group had suggested such screening tests every one to two years for women forty and older.
（新的指导方针）最大的不同就是（美国预防服务）工作组建议乳房X照要面向绝大多数55岁以下的妇女。在2002年，这一组织就已建议此类筛查对于40及40以上的妇女要做到每1-2年一次。
The new guidelines also say women between fifty and seventy-four should not get mammograms every year as currently advised. The experts now recommend testing every two years for that age group.
这一新的指导方针还提出，介于55-74岁之间的妇女没必要按照现在所建议的每年做一次乳房X光照检查。现在，专家们推荐这一年龄段的人每两年做检查一次。
The task force says the new recommendations are not meant for women who have an increased risk of breast cancer.
工作组们提出，新的推荐意见对于处于罹患乳腺癌风险攀升之中的妇女并不具有普遍意义。
The experts also say there is not enough evidence to decide about the benefits and harms of testing women seventy-five or older.
专家们还提出，目前没有足够的依据来判断75岁及以上妇女做（乳房X照）筛查的利与弊。
But the group recommends against teaching women breast self-examination. It says evidence suggests that doing so does not reduce breast cancer deaths.
不过，这一组织并不推荐教导女性进行乳房自检。它说有证据显示这样做并不能降低乳腺癌的死亡数量。
Mistaken test results -- called false positives -- are one problem. But another problem noted by the task force is overdiagnosis. This is when doctors find and possibly treat cancers that would not have shortened a woman's life.
错误的检查结果——也就是被称为假阳性的——就是一个问题。但是，另一个被工作组所提及的问题就是过度诊断。也就是医生查找并有可能去治疗那种可能并不会缩短妇女生命的癌症。
Radiation exposure from breast X-rays is another consideration, though the task force says it may be a minor concern.
来自乳房X射线的射线辐射是另一个要考虑的因素，虽然，工作组称那可能只是个次要因素。
The task force did not suggest one form of mammography over another. It says there is not enough evidence to decide about either digital mammography or magnetic resonance imaging instead of traditional film mammography.
工作组并没有建议用一种乳房X线照相术去替代另外一种。它说，现在没有足够的证据来决断是否由数字型乳房X线或者核磁共振成像来替代乳房X光照相术。
Some doctors say the new guidelines will reduce women's chances of needless treatments, invasive tests and harm, including psychological harm. But other doctors say they worry that the changes will reduce testing and lead to more women dying from breast cancer.
有些医生称，新的指导方针将能降低妇女们做无谓治疗的几率，以及入侵式的检查及其带来的伤害，包括心理上的伤害。不过，其他的医生称，他们担心（新指导方针带来的）新变化会降低检查（次数）并导致更多妇女死于乳腺癌。
The American Cancer Society says it will continue to advise women forty and older to have yearly mammograms. But breast cancer expert Susan Love says the new guidelines are similar to those of most other countries.
美国癌症协会称他们将继续建议40岁及以上的妇女做乳房X线照年检。不过，乳腺癌专家Susan Love称新的指导方针和大多数其他国家的大同小异。