Elderly Patients Benefit From Screening Mammography

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with breast cancer diagnosed at 80 years of age or older who received screening mammography present with earlier-stage disease and have better outcomes compared with unscreened patients, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in the Annals of Surgical Oncology.Siu-Yuan Huang, M.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and colleagues compared differences in outcomes among patients with breast cancer diagnosed at 80 years of age or older (2013 to 2020) based on receipt of screening mammography. The analysis included 174 patients.The researchers found that 98 patients were screened and 76 were unscreened. At a median age of 83 years, most patients had stage I/II tumors, and most cancers were estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative. The screening groups were similar with respect to race/ethnicity, comorbidities, receptor subtype, axillary surgery, or receipt of endocrine therapy/chemotherapy. Patients not receiving screening were more likely to have tumors that were palpable, high-grade, and advanced-stage. Screened patients more frequently underwent lumpectomy, while more unscreened patients omitted surgery. The screened cohort had improved disease-free survival at a median follow-up of 55 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.45) and improved overall survival (HR, 0.26). Associations persisted when adjusting for age, receptor subtype, and surgery."We were surprised to see such a significant survival difference among these women in their 80s," senior author Nimmi S. Kapoor, M.D., also from UCLA, said in a statement. "Our findings underscore the importance of encouraging breast cancer screening in elderly patients, regardless of age, unless they have more pressing health issues. Current guidelines are vague and often left to the provider’s discretion, so studies like ours help provide much-needed data for this underrepresented population."One author disclosed ties to the medical technology industry, and one disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Elderly Patients Benefit From Screening Mammography

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