Never miss a mammogram, because it alone could cost you your life. Women who miss mammograms have an increased risk of dying from breast cancer, according to a new study. A new study by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet found that women who miss their first mammogram run a higher risk of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and dying from the disease. The study is published in the journal The BMJ. Missing a mammogram can cost you your life
In Sweden, women have been offered regular mammograms since the early 1990s, which contributed to a decrease in breast cancer mortality. However, a lot of women choose not to attend their first examination. The researchers wanted to investigate the long-term consequences of this. This new study analyzed data from the Swedish mammography screening program and national health registries, covering nearly 433,000 women in Stockholm between 1991 and 2020, with follow-up of up to 25 years.
The researchers found that about 32 percent of all women who were invited to their first screening declined. These women were also less likely to participate in future examinations, which often led to a later diagnosis and poorer prognosis.“Skipping the first mammogram is a strong indicator of who is at risk of late detection and higher mortality. Our results show that missing the first mammogram is not just a one-time choice, but often marks the beginning of a long-term pattern of not attending check-ups,” the study’s first author, Ziyan Ma, a doctoral student at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, said in a statement. Why skipping the screening is not a good idea
The study showed that women who skipped their first screening were later diagnosed with breast cancer. In them, the disease was often detected in a more advanced stage. The risk of developing stage III cancer was approximately 1.5 times higher, and for stage IV, the risk was as much as 3.6 times higher compared to those who participated in the first mammogram.
Almost 1% of people who skipped mammograms died of breast cancer, compared to 0.7% among the participants, over the 25-year follow-up period. This is a huge risk, because, this difference corresponds to a 40 percent higher risk of dying from the disease. However, the total proportion of women who developed breast cancer was almost the same in both groups, approximately 7.7 percent. The researchers noted that the increased mortality is mainly due to delayed detection rather than more cases of the disease.“Family history is a well-known, unchangeable risk factor for breast cancer. Our study shows that missing the very first screening examination carries a similar mortality risk – but unlike family history, this is a behavior that we can change. Since over 30 percent of women skip their first screening, increased participation could save many lives. Since this group can be identified early, decades before deaths occur, healthcare providers have a chance to intervene with reminders or support to encourage participation,” the study’s last author, Kamila Czene, professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, said.