Women 80 and older benefit from mammography, but few are screened

In the first study to assess mammography in women 80 and older, researchers found that having regular mammograms significantly decreases the risk of being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, but only about one-fifth of women in this age group receive them regularly. The study, which is being published online April 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), also showed that each mammogram that was performed in these older women was associated with a further reduction in the risk of being diagnosed with late-stage disease. It is estimated that approximately 17 percent of breast cancer cases in the U.S. are found in women 80 and older.

"This study suggests that...

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