STORY UPDATED: check for updates below.
Were mammograms banned in Switzerland as of July 22, 2024, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: Switzerland's Federal Department of Home Affairs told Lead Stories that "mammography is not banned at all in Switzerland." It is covered by health insurance and recommended by health experts for women over 40.
The claim appeared in a post on Instagram on July 10, 2024, with a caption that read, in part:
Switzerland banned mammograms, and here's why you should care!
Turns out, a study of over 690,000 women revealed some shocking truths: mammograms might be doing more harm than good! 50-60% of these tests are FALSE POSITIVES. 🤯
...
Shout out to Switzerland, a health leader, for having enough big balls to ban mammograms.
💬 Sound off below. Maybe it's time we question the status quo too. Should we rethink routine mammograms?
👉🏽 Share in Stories, to spread the Truth!
#cancerresearch #mammogram #breastcancerawareness #alternativehealth #preventivecare #switzerlandwonderland #wellnesswarrior #questioneverything #healthandwellness #statistics
This is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram screenshot taken Tue July 16 17:30:54)
Daniel Dauwalder, a spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs (archived here), told Lead Stories the claim in the post on Instagram is untrue.
"Mammography is not banned at all in Switzerland. It is covered by health insurance and is recommended for women at age 40 to 59 yearly and from age 60 to 75 every two years. The installations are controlled by the Federal Office of Public Health," Dauwalder wrote to Lead Stories in an email received on July 18, 2024.
Stefanie de Borba, a spokesperson for the non-profit Swiss Cancer Research (archived here), confirmed to Lead Stories that this claim is incorrect. In an email received on July 22, 2024, de Borba wrote:
Switzerland does not prohibit mammograms, on the contrary, mammograms are the most important method for the early detection of breast cancer in women aged 50 and over. Other examination methods include clinical examination, ultrasound examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Several Swiss cantons have already introduced or are introducing mammography screening programs for breast cancer. The Swiss Cancer League, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss government (Federal Office of Public Health) all recommend the introduction of mammography screening programs.
Swiss Cancer Screening (archived here), a cancer awareness organization, published a map that shows breast cancer screening programs available in 14 of 26 Swiss cantons, or states. As of this writing, four others are in the process of setting up such programs.
In 2014, the Swiss Medical Board published a report (archived here) that questioned the efficacy of breast cancer screening programs. But Swiss experts and organizations called the report controversial (archived here), noting that the report was:
'flawed and misleading' and that it could confuse women and cost their lives.
Moreover, experts said that a review, published simultaneously with the report of the Swiss Medical Board, presented a "completely opposite view of routine breast cancer screening by declaring that its benefits outweighed its harms."
As the National Cancer Institute notes (archived here), mammograms do issue small doses of radiation, however:
The risk of harm from this radiation exposure is low, but repeated x-rays have the potential to cause cancer. Although the potential benefits of mammography nearly always outweigh the potential harm from the radiation exposure, women should talk with their health care providers about the need for each x-ray.
Other fact check agencies have also reviewed this claim, including AFP, PolitiFact and USA Today.
Lead Stories has debunked other health-related claims, which can be read here.
Updates:
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2024-07-22T18:43:46Z 2024-07-22T18:43:46Z Adds comment from Swiss Cancer Research spokesperson.
