The Who, What, Where, When and Sometimes, Why.

Research table: Screening mammography for women 50-69

This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables are a useful way to look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, to get the most out of the tables, it’s important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.

Introduction: There are clear benefits of breast cancer screening with mammography in women 50-69.

Meta-analyses that combined the results of large randomized controlled trials have shown screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality (death) in women 50-69.  

Learn more about screening mammography in women 50-69.

Learn about weighing the benefits and risks of screening mammography.

Study selection criteria: Large randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.

Table note: Relative risk above 1 indicates increased risk. Relative risk below 1 indicates decreased risk.  

Study

Study Population
(number of participants)

Follow-up
(years)

Age at Screening

Relative Risk of Breast Cancer Mortality (Death) in Women Who Got Screening Mammography Versus Women Who Did Not
RR (95% CI)

Randomized controlled trials

Ostergotland [1]

55,059

13

age 50-74

0.70 (0.62-0.80)

Kopparberg [1]

42,558

13

age 50-74

0.55 (0.42-0.73)

Canadian National Breast Screening Study [2]

39,405

25

age 50-59

1.02 (0.77-1.36)

Stockholm [1]

38,318

13

age 50-64

0.64 (0.41-1.01)

Malmo I [1]

34,856

13

age 50-69

0.86 (0.64-1.16)

Malmo II [3]

34,229

17

age 50-70

0.83 (0.66-1.04)

HIP-study [3]

33,010

18

age 50-64

0.79 (0.58-1.06)

Edinburgh [4]

32,897

14

age 50-54

1.09 (0.69-1.71)

     

age 55-59

0.71 (0.47-1.07)

     

age 60-64

0.87 (0.57-1.35)

Gothenburg [5]

26,109

24

age 50-59

0.82 (0.54-1.26)

Meta-analyses

Kerlikowske et al. [6]

13 studies

7-12

age 50-74

0.77 (0.69-0.87)

Cochrane Collaboration [1] 

7 studies

13

age 50 and older

0.77 (0.69-0.86)*

U.S. Preventive Task Force [7]

6 studies

 

age 50-59

0.86 (0.68-0.97)

 

4 studies

 

age 60-69

0.67 (0.54-0.83)

*The combined relative risk for the 2 studies with good methodology was 0.94 (0.77-1.15). 

References 

  1. Gøtzsche PC, Nielsen M. Screening for breast cancer with mammography. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 6:CD001877, 2013.
  2. Miller AB, Wall C, Baines CJ, Sun P, To T, Narod SA. Twenty five year follow-up for breast cancer incidence of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study: randomized screening trial. BMJ. 348:g366, 2014.
  3. Humphrey LL, Helfand M, Chan BKS, et al. Breast cancer screening: a summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine. 137(5): 347-367, 2002.
  4. Alexander FE, Anderson TJ, Brown HK, et al. 14 years of follow-up from the Edinburgh randomised trial of breast-cancer screening. Lancet. 353(9168):1903-8, 1999.
  5. Bjurstam NG, Björneld LM, Duffy SW. Updated results of the Gothenburg Trial of Mammographic Screening. Cancer. 122(12):1832-5, 2016. 
  6. Kerlikowske K, Grady D, Rubin SM, et al. Efficacy of screening mammography: A meta-analysis. JAMA. 273:149-154, 1995.
  7. Nelson HD, Fu R, Cantor A, Pappas M, Daeges M, Humphrey L. Effectiveness of breast cancer screening: systematic review and meta-analysis to update the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation. Ann Intern Med. 164(4):226-35, 2016.

Updated 06/30/22

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