AI Article Synopsis

  • Women in Denmark are stopped from mammography screening at age 69, raising concerns about societal age discrimination and feelings of devaluation among those affected.
  • The study involved in-depth interviews with women who expressed their thoughts on the discontinuation, revealing their high expectations of screening benefits and views on it as a moral obligation.
  • Findings indicate that the discontinuation may have significant emotional impacts, prompting the need for further research on the ethics of screening practices and experiences in other contexts.

Article Abstract

Introduction: In Denmark, women are discontinued from mammography screening at age 69 due to decreased likelihood of benefits and increased likelihood of harm. The risk of harm increases with age and includes false positives, overdiagnosis and overtreatment. In a questionnaire survey, 24 women expressed unsolicited concerns about being discontinued from mammography screening due to age. This calls for further investigation of experiences related to discontinuation from screening.

Methods: We invited the women, who had left comments on the questionnaire, to participate in in-depth interviews with the purpose to explore their reactions, preferences, and conceptions about mammography screening and discontinuation. The interviews lasted 1-4 h and were followed up with a telephone interview 2 weeks after the initial interview.

Results: The women had high expectations of the benefits of mammography screening and felt that participation was a moral obligation. Following that, they perceived the screening discontinuation as a result of societal age discrimination and consequently felt devalued. Further, the women perceived the discontinuation as a health threat, felt more susceptible to late diagnosis and death, and therefore sought out new ways to control their risk of breast cancer.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the age-related discontinuation from mammography screening might be of more importance than previously assumed. This study raises important questions about screening ethics, and we encourage research to explore this in other settings.

Patient And Public Contribution: This study was conducted as a result of the women's unsolicited concerns about being discontinued from screening. This particular group contributed to the study with their own statements, interpretations and perspectives on the discontinuation of screening, and the initial analysis of data was discussed with the women during follow-up interviews.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10154894PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13723DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mammography screening
24
screening
10
age-related discontinuation
8
discontinuation mammography
8
discontinued mammography
8
screening age
8
unsolicited concerns
8
concerns discontinued
8
screening discontinuation
8
discontinuation
7

Similar Publications

Giant triple negative pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) in a young woman: From diagnosis to therapy step by step: A case report.

Radiol Case Rep

March 2025

Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Diagnostic Imaging Area, Italy.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) presents unique challenges. This type of breast cancer is often more aggressive than that diagnosed in nonpregnant women, and its diagnosis is frequently delayed. Several factors contribute to this delay, including the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, such as breast enlargement, breast tenderness and increased tissue density, which can mask early signs of malignancy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Breast arterial calcification (BAC) is a common benign finding on a screening mammogram. Additionally, BAC is a type of medial calcification known as Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis, which differs from the intimal calcification seen in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Recently, BAC has appeared as a new cardiovascular risk stratification method.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background The incidence of margin re-excision following breast conserving surgery (BCS) is a quality measure in the National Health Service. The threshold is less than 20% of all BCS procedures. Despite three decades of studies and a wealth of literature identifying multiple factors associated with increased risk for margin involvement, an accepted threshold rate affecting one in five procedures remains high.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Breast cancer screening (BCS) inequities are evident at national and local levels, and many health systems want to address these inequities, but may lack data about contributing factors. The objective of this study was to inform health system interventions through an exploratory analysis of potential multilevel contributors to BCS inequities using health system data.

Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis within a large academic health system including 19,774 individuals who identified as Black (n = 1445) or White (n = 18,329) race and were eligible for BCS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

[Analysis of Factors That Promote Awareness of Breast MRI Surveillance for Carriers of Hereditary Breast Cancer Risk Genes ( BRCA1/2)].

Nihon Hoshasen Gijutsu Gakkai Zasshi

January 2025

Department of Risk Analysis and Biodosimetry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University.

Purpose: Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers (HBOC) carry a high risk of breast cancer, and detailed screening with contrast-enhanced breast MRI (breast MRI surveillance) is recommended. With the increase in the number of individuals diagnosed with HBOC, the demand for breast MRI surveillance is also rising. However, the current system is inadequate, with factors such as lack of knowledge and indifference among healthcare professionals, and insufficient understanding of breast MRI surveillance being cited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!