Mammography use among U.S. women remained largely stable from 2002 to 2022, though several subgroups — particularly younger women — experienced notable declines, a study found.
The study, led by researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and published March 26 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 2,619,292 women and found screening rates were generally flat over time across age groups, with only small, nonstatistically significant decreases.
However, certain populations saw more pronounced drops. Screening rates declined most among uninsured women, current smokers, unmarried women and non-Hispanic White women ages 40-49.
Overall screening rates also trended downward. Between 2002 and 2022, the screening rates among women ages 50-74 receiving a mammogram declined about 4 percentage points. For women ages 40-49, the decline was steeper, at about 11 percentage points over the same period.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women and is expected to account for 32% of new cases and 42,170 deaths in 2025, underscoring the importance of screening trends across populations, the researchers wrote.
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