According to a study presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), women in their 40s would benefit from annual screening mammography. More specifically, women in this age group with no family history of breast cancer are just as likely to develop invasive breast cancer as women with a family history of the disease.
For the study, Dr Stamatia V. Destounis, MD, radiologist and managing partner of Elizabeth Wende Breast Care, LLC, in Rochester, NY, and colleagues performed a retrospective review. First the researchers determined the number and type of cancers diagnosed among women aged 40 to 49. Included were those with and without a family history of breast cancer who underwent screening mammography at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care between 2000 and 2010.
Then the researchers compared the number of cancers, incidence of invasive disease, and lymph node metastases between the two groups:
- Of the 1071 patients in the 40 to 49 age group with breast cancer, 373 were diagnosed as a result of mammography screening
- A family history of breast cancer was present in 39% of the 373 women, and 61% had no family history of breast cancer
- Of those with a family history, 63.2% had invasive disease and 36.8% had noninvasive disease
- Invasive disease was present in 64% of the patients with no family history of breast cancer, and 36% of this group had noninvasive disease.
- Lymph node metastatic rates were 31% and 29%, respectively
“In the 40-49 age group, we found a significant rate of breast cancer and similar rates of invasive disease in women with and without family history,” Dr Destounis said. “Additionally, we found the lymph node metastatic rate was similar.”
According to Dr Destounis, whether women have a family history of breast cancer or not, these results emphasize the value of early detection and annual screening mammography for women between the ages of 40 and 49.
Source: RSNA