Including women in their 40s in breast cancer screening programs beneficial

Screening programs that include women in their 40s are associated with significantly higher breast cancer (BC) 10-year net survival (NS) for women aged 40 to 49 years, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Anna N. Wilkinson, M.D., from the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined a cohort of Canadian women aged 40 to 49 and 50 to 59 years diagnosed with BC from 2002 to 2007 using the Canadian Cancer Registry data record. Ten-year NS estimates in the jurisdictions with organized screening programs that included women aged 40 to 49 years (screeners) were compared to comparator programs that did not.

The researchers found that for women aged 40 to 49 years diagnosed with BC, BC was the primary cause of 10-year mortality (90.7 percent of deaths). The 10-year NS was 1.9 percentage points higher for screeners versus comparators among these women (84.8 versus 82.9 percent). The difference in favor of screeners was significant for women aged 45 to 49 years, but not for those aged 40 to 44 years. Among women aged 40 to 49 years and 45 to 49 years, but not for those aged 40 to 44 years, the incidence-based BC mortality rate was significantly lower in screener jurisdictions.

"Despite suboptimal screening participation and a cohort diagnosed before two major treatment advances, this study suggests that BC screening programs for women age 40 to 49 years may translate into a significant survival benefit," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Thrive Health.

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