Mammography use, breast cancer stage at diagnosis, and survival among older women

Older women who undergo regular mammography are diagnosed with an earlier stage of breast cancer and are less likely to die from it based on findings of a retrospective cohort study using the Linked Medicare Tumor Registry Database. Use of regular mammograms in older women is beneficial and can reduce death, even for those over age 84. Women over age 64 account for most newly diagnosed cases and deaths, but are least likely to have mammograms. Data are from three geographic areas and are from women older than 66 having a first primary breast cancer.