Breast cancer mortality 40% higher for women who miss first screening mammogram: BMJ study
The observational study covered more than 400,000 women.
Women who miss their first screening mammogram have a 40% higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who attend, a study published in The BMJ suggests.
The observational study used three decades of data covering 432,775 women, drawn from Sweden’s mammography screening register. Women were first invited for screening at ages 40 or 50, depending on the year.
About 32% of women did not attend their first invited appointment.
Among these, the 25-year cumulative breast cancer mortality was 9.9 per 1000 women, compared with seven per 1000 for other women — a 40% higher risk after adjusting for sociodemographic and other factors, such as family cancer history.
