July 20, 2007
Yearly mammograms protect breast cancer survivors
Cancer Research Network finds benefit for older women with no symptoms
Seattle—Older women who get yearly mammograms after treatment of
early-stage breast cancer are less likely to die from breast cancer,
according to a
study in the July 20, 2007 issue of the Journal of
Clinical Oncology.
The researchers examined five years of follow-up on almost 2,000 patients
aged 65 and older with stage I and II breast cancer at six integrated health
care delivery systems in the Cancer Research Network (CRN), including Group
Health.
“Our large study, with nearly complete follow-up, shows that regular
post-therapy surveillance lowers the rate of death from breast cancer,” said
Timothy Lash, DSc, MPH, the paper's lead author. Lash is an associate
professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.
“An important finding of this study is that not all older women who are
breast cancer survivors are receiving annual mammograms,” said Rebecca
Silliman, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine and public health at Boston
University Schools of Medicine and Public Health.
“These findings are consistent with other studies conducted in different
places showing that older women with breast cancer often receive less care
than do younger ones,” Dr. Silliman added. “Our study demonstrates that
receiving annual surveillance mammography after breast cancer diagnosis may
have the opportunity to decrease death from breast cancer.”
The number of older women with breast cancer is forecast to double by
2030, as baby boomers age, according to
Diana Buist, PhD, MPH, Group Health
Center for Health Studies Associate Investigator and co-author of the study.
“So it’s important that health care systems provide effective outreach
through phone calls and letters to older breast cancer survivors,” she said.
Experts agree that all breast cancer survivors with no symptoms should
get yearly “surveillance” mammography routinely, regardless of their age.
“Screening” mammography is for women who have never had breast cancer; and
“diagnostic” mammography is for those with symptoms.
An accompanying
editorial by Georgetown University’s Jeanne Mandelblatt,
MD, draws attention to the importance of this study and other health
services research for the "war against cancer." She cites this research as
“an excellent example” of how “high-quality health services research … fills
gaps left by clinical trials and can guide clinical care and policy for the
growing older population of cancer survivors.”
About Group Health Center for Health Studies
Founded in 1947, Group Health is a Seattle-based, consumer-governed,
nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Group
Health Center for Health Studies conducts research related to prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of major health problems. It is funded primarily
through government and private research grants.
Top |
search
