A study recently published in BMC Public Health shed light on how gaps in mammography screening may influence the likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer.
Researchers in Taiwan analyzed longitudinal health insurance and cancer registry data from 2007 to 2021, identifying 15,314 adult women diagnosed with breast cancer. After excluding individuals with previous cancers, 13,892 patients were included in the final analysis, with 11,672 diagnosed at an early stage and 2,220 diagnosed at an advanced stage.
The study found that women who had never undergone mammography had significantly higher odds of advanced-stage disease compared with those who had been screened.
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Timing also played a major role. Compared with women who had a mammogram within the previous two to four years, those who had gone longer without screening faced progressively higher risks of an advanced stage diagnosis.
The researchers adjusted their analysis for a wide range of health conditions and risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney and liver disease and prior benign breast conditions. Despite these adjustments, the association between screening gaps and later-stage diagnosis remained strong.
Age-specific analyses found that waiting more than four years between mammograms was linked to increased odds of advanced-stage breast cancer among women aged 40 to 69, those 70 and older and individuals in lower-income groups.
Taken together, the results reinforce the critical role of regular mammography in detecting breast cancer earlier, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
“Following American Cancer Society guidelines and maintaining consistent regular screening remain crucial for early detection while significantly reducing the risk of advanced disease, mortality, and late-stage diagnosis due to delayed screening,” the researchers concluded.
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