Are screening mammograms worth it after age 70?
For decades the controversy over breast cancer screening has centered around the age at which women should begin having mammograms. Recently, a new question has arisen: When should women stop regular screening? A report from the Netherlands suggests an answer: before age 75.
Whether those cancers would have progressed during the women's lifetimes is questionable. However, cancer detection usually means cancer treatment, and in older women who are more vulnerable to side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, the treatment may not provide enough benefit to justify its impact on the quality of life.
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