What if the age at which a woman started regular mammographic screening depended on her risk, not age?. Issue 24 (19th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hopper, John L.; Nguyen, Tuong L.; Li, Shuai
• Is Part Of: Cancer. Volume 128:Issue 24(2022)
• Page Start: 4179
• Page End: 4181
• Publication Date: 2022-10-19
• Subjects: Cancer -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Cytopathology -- Periodicals; 616.99405
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34491
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-543X

Abstract

Lay summary: Durham and colleagues found evidence that mammographic screening for breast cancer could start earlier if a woman had a first‐degree relative with breast cancer, no matter how old the relative was at diagnosis. The difference between the age at diagnosis of the relative and the age of starting screening was not a fixed number such as 10 years: it actually increased with the age at diagnosis of the relative. Therefore, this is not just an issue for young women with a relative diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, and it has wide implications for mammographic screening worldwide. Abstract : In this issue of Cancer, Durham and colleagues address the following question: what if the age at which a woman started regular mammographic screening depended on her risk and was based on the youngest age at diagnosis of breast cancer in a first‐degree relative? They found that almost any diagnosis in a first‐degree relative would be consistent with screening starting earlier, with the time lag increasing with age. Therefore, this is not just an issue for young women with a relative diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age.