Infrequent Mammograms Increases Risk of Death

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Are you or the women in your life following the recommendation of the American Cancer Society for annual mammograms? New research says the answer is no for the majority of women.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston say that women as a whole receive only approximately 50 percent to 60 percent of the annual mammograms recommended by the ACS. Researchers found this underutilization reduces the life-saving benefits of annual mammography.

Researchers reviewed data from over 70,000 women receiving mammograms. Only 6 percent of women got 10 mammograms over 10 years, and the median number received was five.

Having regular mammograms was clearly found to reduce risk of death from breast cancer. Among women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, those who had annual mammograms had an 11.97-percent risk of death. Women who received five mammograms in 10 years had a 16.1-percent risk of death. Those who received only one screening every five years had about a 25-percent risk of death.

The authors were surprised to find that no subset based on age, race, socioeconomic status or past history of breast cancer specifically exhibited failure or propensity to complete the recommended level of screenings. However, Hispanic, black and Asian women along with those of low socioeconomic status did have lower levels of use compared with other women. Researchers say these findings indicate that additional attention and resources should be focused on equalizing these disparities.

The authors conclude, "The data reported here reveal that the widespread failure of many women to attend screening regularly occurs to a degree that is likely to reduce the life- sparing potential of screening." They say it is now necessary to research the underlying factors that determine levels of screening use.

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SOURCE: Published online in CANCER, June 21, 2004