Women who miss first breast cancer screening at 40% higher risk' of dying from the disease

"This suggests that the higher death risk among those not attending a first appointment reflects delayed detection rather than increased incidence of the disease, the team said. The researchers wrote: First screening non-participants had a 40% higher breast cancer mortality risk than participants, persisting over 25 years. If early screening behaviour is predictive of later stage diagnosis and mortality risk, it could provide a valuable opportunity to identify populations at high risk decades before adverse outcomes occur."

"Women who miss their first breast cancer screening appointment have a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to a new study. Experts at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analysed data for about half a million women across Sweden, with the findings published in the British Medical Journal. The women all received their first screening invitation between 1991 and 2020 and were monitored for up to 25 years."

Analysis of about 500,000 Swedish women invited to a first mammogram between 1991 and 2020, followed up to 25 years, found that 32% did not attend their first screening. Not attending a first mammogram was associated with higher breast cancer mortality (9.9 deaths per 1,000 over 25 years versus 7 per 1,000 among attendees), representing a 40% increased risk. Non-participants were less likely to attend later screenings and more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage. Similar 25-year incidence between groups indicates delayed detection rather than higher disease incidence explains the mortality difference.

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