We got an email from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure this week about results of a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium. In this study, researchers found that nearly three-quarters of breast cancer deaths occur among the minority of women who do not get regular screening mammograms.
Regular screening was defined as two or more screening mammograms at intervals of two years or less in women with no breast cancer symptoms. The study was conducted in Massachusetts, where surveys indicated that about 80 percent of women have a screening mammogram at least every two years. During the 12 year follow-up of this study, there were 461 deaths from breast cancer:
- 345 of the deaths (75 percent) occurred in women who did not receive regular screening mammograms.
- 116 of the deaths (25 percent) occurred in women who did receive regular screening mammograms.
When the researchers extrapolated these results to all women with breast cancer in the
These results highlight the important role of regular screening mammography in reducing the risk of death from breast cancer.
Thanks to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for bringing this and the following references to us.
American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2009-2010. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/STT_0.asp Accessed October 8, 2009.
Smith RA, Cokkinides V, Brawley OW. Cancer screening in the
Cady B, Webb M, Webb M, Michaelson J, Smith BI. Death from breast cancer occurs predominantly in women not participating in mammographic screening. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium. Abstract 24.
~Amy
