Research table: Screening mammography for women ages 50-69

This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables are a useful way to look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, to get the most out of the tables, it’s important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.

Introduction: There are clear benefits of breast cancer screening with mammography in women ages 50-69.

Meta-analyses that combined the results of large randomized controlled trials have shown screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality (death) in women ages 50-69 (see table below).  

Learn more about screening mammography in women ages 50-69.

Learn about weighing the benefits and risks of screening mammography.

Study selection criteria: Large randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.

Table note: Relative risk above 1 indicates increased risk. Relative risk below 1 indicates decreased risk.  

Study	Study Population (number of participants)	Follow-up (years)	Age at Screening	Relative Risk of Breast Cancer Mortality (Death) in Women Who Got Screening Mammography Versus Women Who Did Not RR (95% CI)
Randomized controlled trials
Ostergotland [1]	55,059	13	ages 50-74	0.70 (0.62-0.80)
Kopparberg [1]	42,558	13	ages 50-74	0.55 (0.42-0.73)
Canadian National Breast Screening Study [2]	39,405	25	ages 50-59	1.02 (0.77-1.36)
Stockholm [1]	38,318	13	ages 50-64	0.64 (0.41-1.01)
Malmo I [1]	34,856	13	ages 50-69	0.86 (0.64-1.16)
Malmo II [3]	34,229	17	ages 50-70	0.83 (0.66-1.04)
HIP-study [3]	33,010	18	ages 50-64	0.79 (0.58-1.06)
Edinburgh [4]	32,897	14	ages 50-54	1.09 (0.69-1.71)
			ages 55-59	0.71 (0.47-1.07)
			ages 60-64	0.87 (0.57-1.35)
Gothenburg [5]	26,109	24	ages 50-59	0.82 (0.54-1.26)
Meta-analyses
Kerlikowske et al. [6]	13 studies	7-12	ages 50-74	0.77 (0.69-0.87)
Cochrane Collaboration [1]	7 studies	13	ages 50 and older	0.77 (0.69-0.86)*
U.S. Preventive Task Force [7]	6 studies		ages 50-59	0.86 (0.68-0.97)
	4 studies		ages 60-69	0.67 (0.54-0.83)

*The combined relative risk for the 2 studies with good methodology was 0.94 (0.77-1.15). 

References 

1. Gøtzsche PC, Nielsen M. Screening for breast cancer with mammography. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 6:CD001877, 2013.
2. Miller AB, Wall C, Baines CJ, Sun P, To T, Narod SA. Twenty five year follow-up for breast cancer incidence of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study: randomized screening trial. BMJ. 348:g366, 2014.
3. Humphrey LL, Helfand M, Chan BKS, et al. Breast cancer screening: a summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine. 137(5): 347-367, 2002.
4. Alexander FE, Anderson TJ, Brown HK, et al. 14 years of follow-up from the Edinburgh randomised trial of breast-cancer screening. Lancet. 353(9168):1903-8, 1999.
5. Bjurstam NG, Björneld LM, Duffy SW. Updated results of the Gothenburg Trial of Mammographic Screening. Cancer. 122(12):1832-5, 2016. 
6. Kerlikowske K, Grady D, Rubin SM, et al. Efficacy of screening mammography: A meta-analysis. JAMA. 273:149-154, 1995.
7. Nelson HD, Fu R, Cantor A, Pappas M, Daeges M, Humphrey L. Effectiveness of breast cancer screening: systematic review and meta-analysis to update the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation. Ann Intern Med. 164(4):226-35, 2016.

Updated 11/20/24