Surveillance mammography reduces mortality in older breast cancer survivors

August 3, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mammographic surveillance is associated with a reduction in breast cancer mortality among older women who have survived the malignancy once, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology for July 20.

Annual mammographic surveillance is currently recommended for breast cancer survivors based on the belief that it may detect an asymptomatic recurrence and, thereby, allow treatment at a more curable stage. Whether such surveillance actually reduces mortality, however, was unclear.

Dr. Timothy L. Lash, from Boston University, and colleagues took up this topic by analyzing data from 1846 women, at least 65 years of age, who had survived a stage 1 or 2 breast cancer. Medical records were reviewed to assess patient characteristic and to ascertain usage of surveillance mammography.

During 5-year follow-up, 178 patients died from breast cancer, the findings indicate.

Dr. Lash and his associates noted a significant inverse relationship between the number of surveillance mammograms and the risk of death from breast cancer. "Each additional surveillance mammogram was associated with a 0.69-fold decrease in the odds of breast cancer mortality."

The benefits of surveillance mammogram were most apparent in women with stage 1 disease, those treated with mastectomy, and those who were 80 years of age and older, the researchers report.

"With extant guidelines that recommend annual surveillance mammograms for breast cancer survivors, it is unlikely that a trial will be undertaken to investigate the efficacy of post-therapy surveillance," the investigators comment.

Meanwhile, the current research "supports the hypothesis that regular post-therapy surveillance reduces the rate of breast cancer mortality."