Advice on ceasing treatment
Hi everyone I hope someone can help me, this journey is horrible. My mum was successfully treated for breast cancer 9 years ago. Last year it returned with aggression. It attacked her intest...
Forum Discussion
Hi All. @kmakm - yes only 15% of women respond to the first invitation letter at 50. I was gobsmacked to learn this stat on Monday (direct from Medical Director of BreastScreen WA)
Mammograms are free from 40 Kate, not 45 and yes, the mortality benefit of screening in 45-49 year olds is way up at 30% (second only to 60-64 year olds at 37%). Pop that into a '20% of breast cancers are found in women 40-49' context and add that they are usually more aggressive, does make me wonder quite seriously... WHY ARE WE NOT SCREENING AT 45!! (We also need to take into account that 20% is a FALSE LOW. Those ladies getting a positive diagnosis in their early 50's may have found their BC in their late 40's had they been invited to screening)
Under 45, mortality benefit drops right down to 7% - due to a combination of lower incidence of BC and breast density (ineffectiveness of mammogram to find the BC). There are aslo high false positive rates under 45.
Data tables below:
Mammograms are free from 40 Kate, not 45 and yes, the mortality benefit of screening in 45-49 year olds is way up at 30% (second only to 60-64 year olds at 37%). Pop that into a '20% of breast cancers are found in women 40-49' context and add that they are usually more aggressive, does make me wonder quite seriously... WHY ARE WE NOT SCREENING AT 45!! (We also need to take into account that 20% is a FALSE LOW. Those ladies getting a positive diagnosis in their early 50's may have found their BC in their late 40's had they been invited to screening)
Under 45, mortality benefit drops right down to 7% - due to a combination of lower incidence of BC and breast density (ineffectiveness of mammogram to find the BC). There are aslo high false positive rates under 45.
Data tables below:
|
(source: BCNA Age group (years) |
Number of Australian women diagnosed |
% of all women diagnosed * |
|
Younger than 20 |
1 |
Less than 1 |
|
21 to 29 |
65 |
Less than 1 |
|
30 to 39 |
705 |
5.2 |
|
40 to 49 |
2,437 |
18 |
|
50 + |
10,359 |
76.4 |