Outcomes among women younger than age 40 in a state breast cancer screening program.
BACKGROUND
The value of entering women younger than age 40 in breast cancer screening programs (SPs) remains unclear.


METHODS
Data from the Oregon Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) for the period December 31, 2000 through July 1, 2003 were reviewed with a focus on women 39 years of age or younger. Information on cancers detected in this group was extracted from The Oregon State Cancer Registry.


RESULTS
Of the 13,636 women screened, 797 (5.8%) were younger than 40 (mean age 31.9 years). A total of 20.6% of the women were asymptomatic and therefore represented true incidence screening, while 79.4% were referred to the program for symptoms (prevalence screen). A total of 125 biopsies were done out of 797 women, which yielded 5 cancers. All 5 of these patients were symptomatic at presentation and had a negative family history.


CONCLUSIONS
There are as yet no data in our state breast cancer SP to support screening of asymptomatic women younger than 40.
Vetto
John T
JT
Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA. vettoj@ohsu.edu
Wheeler
Amanda J
AJ
Toomey
Maureen
M
Schmidt
Katherine J
KJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary