Tipping the balance of benefits and harms to favor screening mammography starting at age 40 years: a comparative modeling study of risk.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Timing of initiation of screening for breast cancer is controversial in the United States.

Objective

To determine the threshold relative risk (RR) at which the harm-benefit ratio of screening women aged 40 to 49 years equals that of biennial screening for women aged 50 to 74 years.

Design

Comparative modeling study.

Data sources

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, and medical literature.

Target population

A contemporary cohort of women eligible for routine screening.

Time horizon

Lifetime.

Perspective

Societal.

Intervention

Mammography screening starting at age 40 versus 50 years with different screening methods (film, digital) and screening intervals (annual, biennia

SUBMITTER: van Ravesteyn NT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3520058 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature