WOMEN who miss their their first breast screening appointment have a 40 per cent higher risk of dying from the disease in their lifetime, warn researchers.
They were also less likely to attend future screenings, according to the findings of a new study.
Missing your first breast cancer screening appointment could significantly raise your risk of death, according to the findings of a new study[/caption]
In research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), experts, including from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, wanted to investigate the long-term consequences of not attending a first examination.
They analysed data for nearly half a million women across Sweden, who all received their first screening invitation between 1991 and 2020. They were then monitored for up to 25 years.
After accounting for social, economic, reproductive, and health-related factors, the researchers found 32 per cent of the women didn’t attend their first mammogram appointment.
These women were also less likely to attend subsequent screenings and were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer than those who were screened.
Not attending a first screening was linked with a significantly higher risk of breast cancer death (9.9 deaths per 1,000 women over 25 years compared with seven in those screened).
The researchers suggested the higher deaths among those not attending a first appointment reflects delayed detection rather than increased incidence of the disease, the team said.
They wrote: “First screening non-participants had a 40 per cent higher breast cancer mortality risk than participants, persisting over 25 years.
“The increased mortality is mainly due to delayed detection of breast cancer…
“First mammography screening could be a crucial time point for prevention of adverse breast cancer outcomes.
“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.”
Breast cancer screening in England
In England, women are invited for breast screening from the age of 50 up to the age of 71.
This is because most breast cancers develop in women over the age of 50.
All women should have received a first invitation for a mammogram by the age of 53.
In Scotland and Wales, breast screening is routinely offered to all women aged between 50 and 70.
While the latest NHS data shows 70 per cent of eligible women were up to date with breast screening as of March 2024, this meant almost one in three were not.
Mammograms can detect breast cancer early, often before a lump can be felt, which improves the chances of successful treatment and survival.
A mammogram is a breast X-ray that takes images of the inside of the breasts.
Specialists then look at mammograms for signs of any abnormal changes.
US researchers wrote a piece to accompany the research. They said “the decision to attend that first appointment is far more than a short-term health check – it is a long-term investment in breast health and survival”.
