By IANS,
Washington : Mammography has shown to significantly reduce the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in advanced stage among women over 80, according to a recent study.
The study is the first to assess the screening modality in women older than 80, among whom 17 percent are diagnosed with breast cancer and only about a fifth have routine mammograms.
The study’s senior co-author Gildy Babiera of the University of Texas said the need for this study evolved as she began to notice a growing number of women who were 80-years-old and older in her clinic, reports Sciencedaily.
“With an increasing number of people living longer, there’s a real dilemma regarding how best to manage the care of breast cancer patients 80 years and older, taking into account both their co-morbidities and their quality of life,” said Babiera.
In total, 12,358 women over age 80 were analysed. Patients were stratified into non-users (women who did not have mammograms), 49 percent; irregular users (women who had one or two mammograms), 29 percent; and regular users (women who had three or more mammograms), 22 percent.
Sixty-eight percent of regular users were more likely to be diagnosed with early disease, stage I, while nonusers and irregular users more often were diagnosed with stages II, III or IV, 56 percent and 33 percent respectively.
Five-year survival rate was 94 percent in regular users, compared to 88 percent in irregular users and 82 percent in nonusers, said Badgwell, a co-author.
The study was published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.