Risk-based breast screenings as effective as annual mammograms
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
JAMAResearchers randomly split 28,372 women ages 40 to 74 (average age 54) into two groups. Women in one group were advised to have yearly mammograms. Women in the other group received personalized screening recommendations based on a risk score that incorporated age, personal and family health history, breast density, and the results of genetic testing. Depending on her score, each woman was advised to have mammograms on a particular schedule; those at highest risk were also told to have breast MRI. The researchers tracked all participants for an average of five years to monitor biopsy rates and breast cancer diagnoses.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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