Radiation protection in mammography for breast cancer screening: not covered by the French press

Abstract

Background: In the context of major exposure to medical-based ionizing radiation (IR), French health institutions agree that adopting a precautionary approach is essential. A number of scientific studies have highlighted the risk of developing breast cancer after exposure to IR, even from low doses. However, the information circulating on the subject is varied.

Objectives: A study of the mainstream press was performed to better understand the elements constituting women's representations of IR in mammography for breast cancer screening.

Study design: The data used came from a corpus created with the mainstream press database 'Europresse.' The keyword 'mammography' was chosen. The software package Iramuteq was used to perform a statistical analysis of textual data using the Reinert method.

Results: This study highlights a paradox between the social principle of prevention and the discourse elements on mammography screening present in the mainstream press.

Conclusion: The general French press does not take into account radiation protection in cancer screening discourses. A greater effort to provide information on this subject is needed.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Ionizing radiation; Mammography; Press analysis; Social representation.