Mammography use declines in breast cancer survivors

The rate of mammography use by breast cancer survivors has been declining "steadily" since 2009, according to research published April 7 in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Researchers led by Dr. Kathryn Lowry from the University of Washington in Seattle found that this trend was more prevalent among women ages 40 to 49.

Using data from 141,672 women, the team found that mammography rates declined from 74.1% in 2004 to 67.1% in 2016. While these rates were stable from 2004 to 2009, they declined 1.5% annually from 2009 to 2016.

The researchers also found that mammography use among women ages 40 to 49 declined 2.8% annually after 2009 versus 1.4% annually in women ages 50 to 64.

They wrote that these findings underscore the need for efforts to improve adherence to surveillance and prevent delays in detection of breast cancer recurrence and second cancers.