Breast Cancer - Screening

Screening Helps Younger Women
Many studies have shown benefits of mammography only for women over 50. Two new British studies, however, indicate there may be a benefit for younger women as well. The U.K. Trial of Early Detection of Breast Cancer found a 27 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality among those attending screening centers, with similar benefits for women aged 45 to 49 compared with older women. A University of Edinburgh study arrived at a similar conclusion, finding a 21 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality. The bad news is that approximately three-quarters of breast cancer mortality risk remained despite screening, highlighting the need for prevention measures rather than relying solely on cancer detection.

UK Trial of Early Detection of Breast Cancer group. 16-year mortality from breast cancer in the UK Trial of Early Detection of Breast Cancer. Lancet. 1999;353:1909-14.

Alexander FE, Anderson TJ, Brown HK, et al. 14 years of follow-up from the Edinburgh randomised trial of breast-cancer screening. Lancet. 1999;353:1903-8.

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