Attending Consecutive Mammography Screens Protects Against Breast Cancer Death
Attending the two most recent screening appointments before a breast cancer diagnosis protects against breast cancer death, according to a Queen Mary University of London study of over half a million Swedish women conducted over 24 years
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March 12, 2021 For women who had participated in both of their previous two screening examinations, the incidence of breast cancers proving fatal within 10 years of diagnosis was 50 percent lower than in women who did not attend either of the last two screening examinations. Compared with women who attended only one of the two previous screens, women who attended both had a significant 22-33 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality.
Repeated attendance at mammography screening confers protection against breast cancer mortality
Attending the two most recent screening appointments before a breast cancer diagnosis protects against breast cancer death, according to a Queen Mary study of over half a million Swedish women conducted over 24 years.
For women who had participated in both of their previous two screening examinations, the incidence of breast cancers proving fatal within 10 years of diagnosis was 50 per cent lower than in women who did not attend either of the last two screening examinations. Compared with women who attended only one of the two previous screens, women who attended both had a significant 22-33 per cent reduction in breast cancer mortality.
Breast screening
For women who had participated in both of their previous two screening examinations, the incidence of breast cancers proving fatal within 10 years of diagnosis was 50 per cent lower than in women who did not attend either of the last two screening examinations. Compared with women who attended only one of the two previous screens, women who attended both had a significant 22-33 per cent reduction in breast cancer mortality.
Lead author, Professor Stephen Duffy of Queen Mary’s Wolfson Institute, said: “
While there is ample evidence that breast cancer mortality is reduced in those who attend screening, these results demonstrate that repeated attendance confers greater protection than attendance at a single screen. We need to ensure that the screening experience is as stress-free as possible, so that people will come back.”
Dr. Daniel Kopans.
The history of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on breast screening is another case in point, in which decisions on mammography guidelines have been based on flawed analyses of scientific data.
When the USPSTF last week opened a new review of breast screening guidelines, it created the opportunity to revisit the group s flawed decision in 2009 to not recommend breast screening for women in their 40s. However, a number of factors need to be addressed for the 2021 review to present a fair and impartial review of the science and evidence in favor of breast screening.