Research Context: Missing the first mammogram linked to increased risk of breast cancer death, new study suggests
- Women's Cancer Research Foundation
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Globally, 1 in 20 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Hence, early screening is crucial because the best prognosis is when breast cancer is diagnosed and treated in its earliest stages.
When breast cancer is diagnosed in its localized stages (early stage), the five-year survival rate is more than 99%. Alternatively, when the cancer is detected after it has spread to other organs, the survival rate drops to about 32%.
Last year, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age for most women to start receiving mammograms to age 40. Women should receive a mammogram every other year until age 74. For those 75 and above, the decision to continue screenings is a personal one to make with one’s primary care provider. A recent tracked outcomes from 432,775 women in Sweden for up to 25 years. The researchers chronicled that among women invited to their first mammogram screening, nearly one-third did not participate. The nonparticipants continued to be less likely to participate in subsequent mammograms and more likely to have breast cancer diagnosed in advanced stages.
Notably, the odds of these initial nonparticipants being diagnosed with stage 3 (advanced) cancer was 1.5 times greater, and 3.6 times greater for stage 4 cancer, compared with those who did participate in a first screening. Also, breast cancer deaths after 25 years for this group were significantly higher compared with those who followed through on a first mammogram.
Full article here: Breast cancer: Missing the first mammogram is linked with increased risk of death, new study finds | CNN
About Women’s Cancer Research Foundation:
The Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) is one of the most active research organizations in the nation. We are dedicated to studying and evaluating novel treatments for women afflicted with breast, ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers. The WCRF persistently endeavors to make a difference in women’s lives by offering them hope, strength, and progress.