Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38030747›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of cancer2024

Health benefits and harms of mammography screening in older women (75+ years)-a systematic review.

Erin Mathieu, Naomi Noguchi, Tong Li, Alexandra L Barratt, Jolyn K Hersch, Geertruida H De Bock, Elizabeth J Wylie, Nehmat Houssami

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Erin MathieuSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. erin.mathieu@sydney.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-5209-7989
Naomi NoguchiSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Tong LiThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, A Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4956-765X
Alexandra L BarrattSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Jolyn K HerschSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5225-6639
Geertruida H De BockDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Elizabeth J WylieBreastScreen Western Australia, Women and Newborn Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.
Nehmat HoussamiSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3641-952X
The University of Sydney · AUBreastScreen WA · AUUniversity Medical Center Groningen · NL

Funding

Cancer Institute NSW (Cancer Institute New South Wales) 2020/ECF1158Cancer Institute NSW (Cancer Institute New South Wales) 2022/ECF1420Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1194410
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is little evidence on the balance between potential benefits and harms of mammography screening in women 75 years and older. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise the evidence on the outcomes of mammography screening in women aged 75 years and older.

methodsA systematic review of mammography screening studies in women aged 75 years and over.

resultsThirty-six studies were included in this review: 27 observational studies and 9 modelling studies. Many of the included studies used no or uninformative comparison groups resulting in a potential bias towards the benefits of screening. Despite this, there was mixed evidence about the benefits and harms of continuing mammography screening beyond the age of 75 years. Some studies showed a beneficial effect on breast cancer mortality, and other studies showed no effect on mortality. Some studies showed some harms (false positive tests and recalls) being comparable to those in younger age-groups, with other studies showing increase in false positive screens and biopsies in older age-group. Although reported in fewer studies, there was consistent evidence of increased overdiagnosis in older age-groups.

conclusionThere is limited evidence available to make a recommendation for/against continuing breast screening beyond the age of 75 years. Future studies should use more informative comparisons and should estimate overdiagnosis given potentially substantial harm in this age-group due to competing causes of death. This review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020203131).

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsMammographyAgedAge FactorsBreastFemaleHumansMass Screening

Identifiers

PMID38030747
PMCPMC10803784
OpenAlexW4389142739

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.