Breast cancer screening under 50 questioned

"Breast cancer screening under 50 questioned", Reuters UK, December 8,
2006,
Link:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/arti...-SCREENING.xml

Screening women under 50 years old for breast cancer does not
significantly reduce deaths from the disease, British researchers said
on Friday.

They estimated giving women annual mammograms beginning at the age of
40 could save about four lives for every 1,000 women screened.

But they added the benefit must be weighted against increased radiation
exposure, which could raise breast cancer risk, anxiety caused by false
positive results and higher costs for the screening programmes.

"This trial did not find a significant reduction in breast cancer
mortality in women offered annual screening between the ages of 40 and
48 years," said Dr Sue Moss of the Institute of Cancer Research in
London.

She added the results of the research published in The Lancet medical
journal are consistent with the findings of previous studies that
analysed the risks and benefits of screening women under 50 years old
for breast cancer.

The disease, which is the leading cause of cancer in women, occurs most
commonly in women over 50. In Britain women aged 50-70 years old are
invited for annual screening. In some other countries screening is
advised for younger women.

Moss and her team assessed the impact of screening younger women in a
10-year study. More than 160,000 women in Britain were randomly
selected to have annual mammograms from the age of 40 or from 50 years
old.

Although cancer deaths in the younger screening group dropped compared
to deaths in those screened later, it was not statistically
significant, according to the researchers.

Twenty-three percent of women who had regular mammograms from 40 had at
least one false positive result, compared to an estimated 12 percent in
the older group.

"Longer follow-up of this trial will provide further information. It is
important that all the potential advantages and disadvantages of
screening are taken into account when considering any changes in
policy," Moss added.

Professor John Toy, of the charity Cancer Research UK which funded the
trial, said it showed no definitive evidence for women in their 40s to
be included in screening programmes.

"We encourage women of all ages, and particularly older women in whom
breast caner is more common ... to see their doctor straight away if
they notice any changes in their breasts," he said in a statement.