Biennial Mammography Screening for Women 50-74

Here is some important data from an article I read this week written by Dr. Karla Kerlikowske, M.D., a professor in the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco, published March 18, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The article stated that women aged 50-74 who received biennial mammography have a similar risk for advanced stage breast cancer (stage IIb, III or IV) and a lower cumulative risk for false positive results compared with women who received annual mammograms. The groups were divided into screening frequency, age, breast density and postmenopausal hormone therapy treatment. Most of the women with breast cancer were at least 50 years of age, Caucasian and had heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts. Women who are using combination hormone therapy, had heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts and received biennial mammography did