A new study, which tracked 500,000 women in Sweden, has found that those who missed their first mammogram appointment faced a 40% higher risk of dying from breast cancer over a 25-year period compared to those who attended their screening. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal by experts at the Karolinska Institute, also revealed that women who skipped their initial screening were more likely to miss subsequent screenings and have their breast cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage.
However, the overall rate of breast cancer between those who attended their screenings and those who didn’t was similar. The researchers concluded: “First screening non-participants had a 40% higher breast cancer mortality risk than participants, persisting over 25 years. If early screening behaviour is predictive of later stage diagnosis and mortality risk, it could provide a valuable opportunity to identify populations at high risk decades before adverse outcomes occur.”
The experts emphasised the message behind their study: “Non-participation at the first screening should be prioritised as an early, actionable predictor of avoidable breast cancer mortality.
“Screening programmes remain insufficiently responsive to this high-risk group, allowing persistent disengagement from preventive care and increasing the likelihood of late-stage diagnoses and death. This represents a critical missed opportunity for intervention.”
They criticised the passive approach of healthcare services in encouraging women to attend breast cancer screenings, arguing that it leaves those who miss their appointments “largely untouched” and consequently at a higher risk of breast cancer mortality.
They suggested some cost-effective interventions such as automatically scheduling a second, fixed date appointment for those who missed their first screening or brief telephone coaching to enhance mammography screening attendance.
In England, women are typically invited to their first breast cancer screening between the ages of 50 and 53. They’ll continue to receive invitations every three years until they reach 71.
These screenings can detect breast cancer early, even before a lump is noticeable, which enhances the chances of successful treatment and survival.
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the UK. The risk of developing it escalates with age and women over 50 account for the majority of cases, however, it’s possible for men, non-binary and trans people to develop the disease at any age.
According to NHS data, as of March 2024, 70% of eligible women had been screened. While this represents a 3.6% increase from the previous year, it also implies that potentially one in three women had not attended their appointments.
Certain individuals are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This includes those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, as well as those carrying gene mutations such as BRCA1, BRCA2 or TP53.