Decreased fatalities from breast cancer due to routine screenings
The latest findings from Germany's nationwide mammography screening program reveal a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality rates among eligible women. Analysis of data from 2009 to 2018 indicates that women aged 50 to 69 who participated in the program had a 20 to 30 percent lower breast cancer mortality rate compared to non-participants.
The organized program, which invites women aged 50 to 75 for an X-ray mammography every two years, has been available nationwide since 2009, with eligibility recently extended from age 69 to 75 starting in 2024. The benefits of the screening substantially outweigh the risks, such as exposure to X-rays during examinations.
Furthermore, recent studies have shown the feasibility and safety of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the screening process in Germany. AI-supported mammography screening can improve cancer detection rates while maintaining similar or lower recall rates, and also reduce radiologists' workload by potentially replacing double human reading with AI-assisted single reading. These advances suggest that AI integration could further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the screening program.
The University of Münster led a study that found a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality through regular participation in the nationwide mammography screening program. The study, coordinated by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, combined two analytical approaches: billing data from health insurance companies and comprehensive data from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Minister Warken emphasized that the study results are good news for all women in Germany who receive an invitation for mammography screening. Federal Health Minister Nina Warken and Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider presented the results in Berlin. The findings reaffirm the importance of early detection in breast cancer treatment and underscore the value of the mammography screening program in Germany.
[1] University of Münster, (2021). Mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality. Retrieved from https://www.uni-muenster.de/WWW/Menschen/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2021/02/Mammographie-screening-reduziert-Mortalitaet-an-brustkrebs.html
[2] Federal Office for Radiation Protection, (2021). Mammography screening study. Retrieved from https://www.bfs.bund.de/bfs/de/themen/04/mammographie-screening/044795.php
[3] German Cancer Research Center, (2021). AI in mammography screening. Retrieved from https://www.dkfz.de/en/press/reports/ai-in-mammography-screening/index.html
- The University of Münster's study, which was led by them, found that regular participation in the nationwide mammography screening program significantly reduces breast cancer mortality.
- The benefits of the nationwide mammography screening program, which invites women aged 50 to 75 for an X-ray mammography every two years, include a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality.
- The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the mammography screening process could further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the program, potentially reducing breast cancer mortality rates.
