Early detection of second breast cancers improves survival, so patients with a personal history of breast cancer should undergo annual mammography or DBT for surveillance following breast conservation therapy [3]. Despite the established mortality benefit, published guidelines differ in their recommendations for screening mammography due to variations in the perceptions of the relative risks and benefits [5,38]. The degree of breast cancer mortality reduction from screening mammography varies with different screening regimens. Mortality reduction is greater when screening begins 40 years of age rather than 45 or 50 years of age and when screening is done more frequently (annually rather than biennially) [8,31]. Annual screening mammography for women 40 to 84 years of age decreases mortality by 40% (12 lives per 1,000 women screened), whereas biennial screening mammography for women 50 to 74 years of age only decreases mortality by 23% (7 lives per 1,000 women screened) [32]. Earlier initiation of screening and more frequent screening result in a greater number of imaging For women 40 to 49 years of age, randomized controlled trials and observational studies demonstrate that screening mammography decreases breast cancer mortality by 15% to 50% [1,8,32,33,39]. Results from the CISNET suggest that annual screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age saves 42% more lives and life-years than biennial screening due to faster growing tumors in younger women [31]. Women screened between 40 and 49 years of age are also less likely to require mastectomy or chemotherapy than women diagnosed with palpable tumors [2]. Non-Hispanic black women, Hispanic black, and Hispanic white women have higher breast cancer mortality than non-Hispanic white women, and minority women often present at younger ages with more aggressive tumor subtypes [3,8]. Therefore, decreasing access to screening mammography, especially in women 40 to 49 years of age, may disproportionately impact minority women.
Female Breast Cancer Screening. Early detection of second breast cancers improves survival, so patients with a personal history of breast cancer should undergo annual mammography or DBT for surveillance following breast conservation therapy [3]. Despite the established mortality benefit, published guidelines differ in their recommendations for screening mammography due to variations in the perceptions of the relative risks and benefits [5,38]. The degree of breast cancer mortality reduction from screening mammography varies with different screening regimens. Mortality reduction is greater when screening begins 40 years of age rather than 45 or 50 years of age and when screening is done more frequently (annually rather than biennially) [8,31]. Annual screening mammography for women 40 to 84 years of age decreases mortality by 40% (12 lives per 1,000 women screened), whereas biennial screening mammography for women 50 to 74 years of age only decreases mortality by 23% (7 lives per 1,000 women screened) [32]. Earlier initiation of screening and more frequent screening result in a greater number of imaging For women 40 to 49 years of age, randomized controlled trials and observational studies demonstrate that screening mammography decreases breast cancer mortality by 15% to 50% [1,8,32,33,39]. Results from the CISNET suggest that annual screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age saves 42% more lives and life-years than biennial screening due to faster growing tumors in younger women [31]. Women screened between 40 and 49 years of age are also less likely to require mastectomy or chemotherapy than women diagnosed with palpable tumors [2]. Non-Hispanic black women, Hispanic black, and Hispanic white women have higher breast cancer mortality than non-Hispanic white women, and minority women often present at younger ages with more aggressive tumor subtypes [3,8]. Therefore, decreasing access to screening mammography, especially in women 40 to 49 years of age, may disproportionately impact minority women.