Why the Women's Health Initiative Breast Cancer Scare Was Just a Scratch
Was the Women’s Health Initiative Breast Cancer Risk Actually Significant?
No, according to this critical analysis by leading researchers. The WHI’s breast cancer findings that terrified millions of women and their doctors were not statistically significant when properly analyzed. The study’s early termination and misinterpretation of relative versus absolute risk created a medical panic that has denied effective treatment to countless women for over two decades.
Dr. Kumar’s Take
This review exposes one of the most damaging misinterpretations in modern medicine. The WHI’s breast cancer “signal” was so weak that it disappeared entirely when analyzed correctly. We’re talking about a difference so small it could easily be due to chance, yet it fundamentally changed how we treat menopausal women. The real tragedy is that millions of women have suffered with debilitating symptoms because the medical community overreacted to what was essentially statistical noise.