Mammography screening in three Finnish residential areas: comprehensive population-based study of breast cancer incidence and incidence-based mortality 1976-2009.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a large-scale screening programme for breast cancer (BC) in Turku, Finland. Incidence and incidence-based mortality (IBM) figures were compared with the areas applying different screening policies.

Methods: Deaths and person-time of women aged 40-84 were assessed for the period 1976-1986 (prescreening era) and the periods 1987-1997 and 1998-2009 (screening periods) using incidence and IBM by age at diagnosis and at death.

Effects of annual vs triennial mammography interval on breast cancer incidence and mortality in ages 40-49 in Finland.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mammography screening invitation interval on breast cancer mortality in women aged 40-49 years.

Methods: Since 1987 in Turku, Finland, women aged 40-49 years and born in even calendar years were invited for mammography screening annually and those born in odd years triennially. The female cohorts born during 1945-1955 were followed for up to 10 years for incident breast cancers and thereafter for an additional 3 years for mortality.

Lower recurrence risk through mammographic screening reduces breast cancer treatment costs.

Mammographic screening is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence. The objective of the study was to evaluate treatment costs due to breast cancer recurrence in relation to patients' use of mammographic screening, consecutively collected in a defined population. The study included 418 women exposed to screening and 109 women unexposed to screening diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer.

Service screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality among elderly women in Turku.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of service screening mammography on breast carcinoma incidence and refined mortality among women aged 55-69 at entry in three cities employing different screening policies.

Methods: Since 1987, the city of Turku, Finland, has provided service screening mammography for women aged 55-69 at entry (in 1987), and Tampere provided screening for women aged 55-59 at entry, whereas Helsinki did not screen any of these age groups. The incidence of breast carcinoma during the screening period 1987-97 in women born in 1918-32 (1918-22, 1923-27, 1928-32) was compared with incidence during the pre-screening period 1976-86 in women born in 1907-21 (1907-11, 1912-16, 1917-21) in each city.

Population-based mammography screening results in substantial savings in treatment costs for fatal breast cancer.

Aims: The aim was to assess the effect of population-based mammography screening on treatment costs for fatal breast cancer in Turku, Finland.

Materials And Methods: The study included 556 women with invasive breast cancer, diagnosed at the age of 40-74 years in 1987-1993: 427 in the screened group (screen-detected or interval cancer) and 129 in the unscreened group (not yet invited or refused screening). Both groups were followed up for 8 years from diagnosis.