Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
An algorithmic approach to breast cancer screening for women over the age of 74.
- Figure 2.
Life expectancy of women in the United States.10 This figure shows that age alone is a crude predictor of life expectancy because considerable variability in longevity exists among women in the United States.
Tables
Source (Year Issued) Should Women in Their 70s Get Mammograms? If Yes, How Frequently? Siu and US Preventive Services Task Force (2016)9 Yes, until age 74.
Beyond age 74: no recommendation due to insufficient evidence. If offered, patients should understand the uncertainty about the balance of benefits and harms.Every 2 years Oeffinger et al/American Cancer Society (2015)7 Yes.
Continue screening as long as a patient has good overall health and a life expectancy of 10 years or longer.1 to 2 years Qaseem et al/American College of Physicians (2019)8 Yes, until age 74.
Beyond age 74: screening not recommended. Patients aged 75 years or older, or of any age if they have serious health conditions, are unlikely to benefit yet still experience harms from screening and treatment.Every 2 years American Academy of Family Physicians (2016)17 Yes, until age 74.
Beyond age 74: no recommendation due to insufficient evidence. If offered, patients should understand the uncertainty about the balance of benefits and harms.Every 2 years American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (2017)48 Yes, until age 75.
Beyond age 75: decision to stop screening should be based on a shared decision-making process that includes a discussion of the patient's health status and longevity.1 to 2 years Moticciolo et al/American College of Radiology (2017)49 Yes
The age to stop screening should be based on each patient's health status rather than an age-based determination. Screening recommendations should be tailored to individual circumstances such as life expectancy, comorbidities, and the intention to seek (and ability to tolerate) treatment if a cancer is detected.Every year Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (2018)50 Yes, until age 74.
Beyond age 74: no recommendation due to insufficient evidence.2 to 3 years National Health Service, United Kingdom (2015)51 Yes, until age 73.
Beyond age 73: no recommendation, but patients remain eligible for screening.Every 3 years Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2018)52 Yes, until age 74.
Beyond age 74: no recommendation due to insufficient evidence from randomized trials. However, observational studies favor extending screening to patients with a life expectancy of at least 10 years.Every 2 years
