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Breast cancer mortality in relation to receipt of screening mammography: a case–control study in Saskatchewan, Canada

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Abstract

Purpose

The efficacy of screening mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality continues to be controversial. In addition, few data exist on the efficacy of screening mammography in women 70 years of age or older. An organized screening mammogram program has existed in Saskatchewan since the mid-1990s. It offers mammography every 2 years to women ≥50 years of age.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case–control study to evaluate the efficacy of screening mammography, as practiced in Saskatchewan, Canada. Cases (n = 501) were women who died of breast cancer during 1995–2008 and were at least 52 years of age at the time of their diagnosis. Controls (n = 5,009) were matched to cases on birth year and duration of healthcare coverage prior to the cases’ breast cancer diagnosis date. In cases and controls, receipt of screening mammography during the several years up to and including the date of the case’s diagnosis of breast cancer was ascertained from the records of the screening program.

Results

Receipt of a screening mammogram in the preceding 2 years was more common among controls (53 %) than cases (37 %), OR 0.51 (95 % CI 0.42–0.62). A decreased risk was observed among women in all age groups, including those 70–79 years (OR 0.40; 95 % CI 0.27–0.60).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that receipt of screening mammography among women in Saskatchewan has been associated with a decreased risk of death from breast cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health grant R03CA135700 (PI: Noel S. Weiss). Noel S. Weiss is supported by an established investigator award in cancer prevention and control (K05CA092002) from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Gaia Pocobelli is supported by training grant T32 HD052462 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. We thank Dr. MaryRose Stang of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health for assistance with data acquisition and Barb Byrne Simon and Matthew Anderson of the University of Washington for administrative support. This study is based in part on de-identified data provided by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health. The interpretation and conclusions contained herein do not necessarily represent those of the Government of Saskatchewan or the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Health Sciences F-262, Seattle, WA, 98195-7236, USA

    Gaia Pocobelli & Noel S. Weiss

  2. Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer, Box 358080, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Building M, Mailstop: M4-C308, PO Box 19024, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA

    Noel S. Weiss

Authors
  1. Gaia Pocobelli
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  2. Noel S. Weiss
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Correspondence to Gaia Pocobelli.

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Pocobelli, G., Weiss, N.S. Breast cancer mortality in relation to receipt of screening mammography: a case–control study in Saskatchewan, Canada. Cancer Causes Control 26, 231–237 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0503-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0503-2

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