Impact of NHS Breast Screening on Advanced Disease and Mortality from Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Threlfall A G, Collins S, Woodman C B J
Primary Institution: Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, The University of Manchester
Hypothesis
What is the impact of the NHS breast screening program on advanced disease and mortality rates from breast cancer?
Conclusion
The study found that the rate of advanced disease and mortality from breast cancer was lower in women invited for screening by the Wigan program compared to the Manchester program.
Supporting Evidence
- The incidence of invasive cancer was higher in Wigan than in Manchester.
- The incidence of advanced disease was significantly lower in Wigan than in Manchester.
- Mortality rates were lower in Wigan than in Manchester.
Takeaway
This study shows that women who went to breast cancer screenings in Wigan had fewer advanced cases and lower death rates than those in Manchester.
Methodology
The study used record linkage to assemble individual screening histories and related these to occurrences of advanced disease and death from breast cancer.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of exposure to screening due to incomplete mortality data linkage.
Limitations
The study could not include data from all screening programs due to varying start dates and data storage issues.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 54 years or younger invited for screening in Manchester and Wigan.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
95% CI for difference in proportions, 6.8–8.8%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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