Major Study Looks At Effectiveness Of Mammography

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It is one of the largest and most extensive studies known. For nearly three decades, 130,000 Swedish women between the ages of 40 and 74 were followed in an effort to find out if mammography screening had an impact on breast cancer mortality.

According to an article in the journal Radiology it does and it is an effective test. Back in September 2010 a study was published showing that mammography screening of women between 40 and 49 years of age reduced death from breast cancer by 30-percent.

This study involves the same group of women as well as those up to 74 years of age. It confirms those earlier results and it actually makes a stronger case for the importance of mammography in preventing breast cancer related deaths as women age. This is an important study because it shows the effectiveness of the screening tool.

Reported by Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio