Women who skip their first breast cancer screening appointment are 40% more likely to die from the disease, according to a major study from Sweden.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute tracked around 500,000 women who received their first mammogram invitation between 1991 and 2020. Published in the British Medical Journal, the study followed participants for up to 25 years.
Nearly one in three women (32%) did not attend their first screening. These women were more likely to miss future screenings, be diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, and face a higher mortality rate — 9.9 deaths per 1,000 over 25 years, compared with seven per 1,000 among those who were screened.
However, overall breast cancer rates were similar between groups, suggesting that delayed detection — rather than higher incidence — explained the increased risk of death.
“First screening non-participants had a 40% higher breast cancer mortality risk than participants, persisting over 25 years,” the authors wrote.
US researchers commenting on the study said a first mammogram is about more than detecting cancer: it helps women learn risk factors and symptoms, providing “a long-term investment in breast health and survival”.
In England, women are invited for screening from ages 50 to 71. NHS figures show 70% of eligible women were up to date with checks as of March 2024, leaving almost a third unscreened. Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, called the missed appointments “worryingly high” and urged action to make screenings more accessible.
The study comes as global cancer cases are projected to rise 61% by 2050, reaching 30.5m annually. Nearly half of cancer deaths are linked to preventable risks such as smoking, poor diet, and high blood sugar.
Meanwhile, separate research published in Nature identified a promising new target for treating pancreatic cancer. Scientists found that blocking a protein called SPP1 could slow the spread of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common and aggressive form of the disease, potentially improving survival rates.
