Female cancer survivors are more likely to receive breast cancer screening than women who have never had cancer, according to a new review published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. However, the overall screening rates remain below targets set by health organizations, which generally recommend a rate of 70% to 80% to help detect cancer early and save lives.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 60 studies that examined how often adult female cancer survivors received breast cancer screening, compared to women with no history of cancer. The review focused on survivors of cancers other than breast cancer because breast cancer survivors often undergo mammograms as a standard part of checking for recurrence, not routine screening.
The findings showed that about 67% of female cancer survivors had been screened for breast cancer, but this figure still falls short of national guidelines. Notably, self-reported data suggested higher screening rates (74%) compared to data gathered from medical records (54%). Regional differences also appeared: screening rates were higher in North America (70%) than in other regions (57%).
Screening rates were also different depending on the type of cancer a woman had survived. Women who survived lung cancer had the lowest rates of breast cancer screening at 49%, while cervical cancer survivors had the highest rates at 75%. When comparing cancer survivors with those who have never had cancer, survivors were about 1.24 times more likely to get screened for breast cancer. However, this increase was not enough to meet desired screening levels.
Researchers stressed the importance of regular breast cancer screening for cancer survivors because these women face a higher risk of developing new cancers compared to the general population. They called for further studies to discover what influences screening habits among survivors, hoping to find ways to increase screening rates and better protect women’s health.
