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Raftery J, Chorozoglou M. BMJ Open 2011; 343: d7627 doi: 10.1136/bmj.d7627

When considering screening for oral cancer, there is insufficient evidence that opportunistic screening for potentially oral malignant lesions 'alters disease-specific mortality' (Rethman MP, Carpenter W et al. J Am Dent Assoc 2010; 141: 509–520). This study, published in the British Medical Journal, examined other issues associated with screening, specifically unnecessary surgery following mammographic breast screening. The investigators used new information from trials that was not available to those who recommended breast screening in the UK in 1986. This study found the QALYs ('number of years of life that would be added by the intervention' when 1.0 is a year of perfect health and 0.0 is death) was reduced by one half from 3,301 to 1,536 over 20 years, when 100,000 women, aged 50 years and over, were invited for breast screening.