Abstract

Education and debate ing appointments, as if it were a civic duty. In leaflets, Perhaps it is time to rethink what life is all about women get simple messages—that cancer detected and remind ourselves that most people are willing to early can be cured, and early cancers can often be run substantial risks in their ordinary life to preserve treated with breast conserving surgery. The data tell their joy and autonomy. In Out of Africa, Karen Blixen another story: no reliable evidence shows that breast wrote that the European wants to get insured against screening saves lives; breast screening leads to more fate, whereas the African takes it as it comes. She also surgery, including more mastectomies; and estimates wrote: “Frei lebt wer sterben kann” [Those who can die show that more than a tenth of healthy women who live freely]. attend a breast screening programme experience con­ siderable psychological distress for many months. Competing interest: None declared. Senior scientists argue that this debate should not be taking place in public. This misguided paternalism 1 Stanford JL, Feng Z, Hamilton AS, Gilliland FD, Stephenson RA, Eley JW, makes us wonder why health professionals are so eager et al. Urinary