Since the 1980s, all women in Sweden between 40 and 74 years old have been called to mammography. The invitations are made within the framework of the national screening program for breast cancer. The purpose is to detect cancer, preferably as early as possible for treatment.
Every fourth woman who is affected by breast cancer is over 75. At the same time, more than half of the deaths from breast cancer occur in that age group, says Susanne Dieroff Hay, chairman of the Breast Cancer Association.
They have let the Institute for Health and Medical Economics (IHE) conduct a model study of the effects of introducing screening for women between 75 and 84 years. The conclusion in it is that breast cancer mortality could be reduced by 31 percent among the women who continue with mammography.
”Yesterday's 74 today's 84”
The calculations are based on data from the National Quality Register for Breast Cancer and the calculations have been made with a special model.
The age limit of 74 was set many years ago, but yesterday's 74 is today's 84. We live longer and we think that the age for screening should be adjusted. Even older people have the right to early detection of cancer, it would save lives, says Susanne Dieroff Hay.
The fact that screening stops after 74 is because that was where the age limit was set in the study conducted in Sweden in the 1980s. The National Board of Health and Welfare made a review of the state of knowledge in 2023 and came to the conclusion that it was not relevant to update the recommendation for what age women should be called to mammography.
According to the Breast Cancer Association, there is support for continuing for ten years more.
There is no data on women over 74 because they are rarely included in studies. But the analysis IHE has done shows that it is profitable, says Dieroff Hay.
Can benefit society
Antonios Valachis is a chief physician at the oncological clinic at Örebro University Hospital. He meets many women who have been affected after the age of 74.
When the women themselves feel that something is wrong, the tumor has often become larger or spread. Then the disease has often gone much further and requires tougher treatment than with early detection.
Even if there are no studies that show that a higher screening age would pay off, he thinks that IHE's analysis is an interesting basis and that the age limit needs to be discussed.
It's a bit old-fashioned to have the same age limit as in the 1990s. We live longer and with a good quality of life where early detection could benefit both women and society.
Petra Hedbom/TT
Fact: Breast cancer and mammography
TT
6 percent of all cancer cases in women are breast cancer.
In 2023, 9,591 women and 60 men fell ill with breast cancer.
88 percent of those who get breast cancer live ten years after diagnosis.
One in ten women risks getting breast cancer before the age of 75.
65 percent of all breast cancer cases in the ages 40-74 have been detected with mammography screening since 2012.
5-10 percent of all breast cancer cases are due to heredity.
Those born female are offered screening with mammography between 40-74 years.
Screening with mammography can be done with 1.5 to 2 years in between. The variation depends on where you live and how old you are.
Source: Breast Cancer Association, 1177
