Significant Reductions Seen in Breast Cancer Death With Screening

MONDAY, May 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Women participating in mammography screening have a significant reduction in the risk for dying of breast cancer and in the rate of advanced breast cancers, according to a study published online May 11 in Cancer.

Stephen W. Duffy, from the Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues calculated the incidence rates of 2,473 breast cancers that were fatal within 10 years after diagnosis and the incidence rates of 9,737 advanced breast cancers among 549,091 women who accounted for about 30 percent of the Swedish mammography screening-eligible population. Data were obtained from national Swedish registries for each breast cancer diagnosis and the cause and date of death of each breast cancer case.

The researchers found a significant reduction in the risk for dying of breast cancer within 10 years for women who participated in mammography screening (relative risk, 0.59); these women also had a significant decrease in the rate of advanced breast cancer (relative risk, 0.75).

“This study shows that participation in breast cancer screening substantially reduces the risk of having a fatal breast cancer,” Duffy said in a statement. “Because the comparison of participating with nonparticipating persons was contemporaneous — with mammography screening and breast cancer treatment belonging to the same time period — it is not affected by potential changes in treatment of breast cancer over time.”

One author disclosed financial ties to the medical device and medical technology industries.

Abstract/Full Text