Secondary prevention of breast cancer in older women

Periodic mammography is well studied and widely applied as a screening programme to reduce breast cancer-related mortality and morbidity in women aged 50 to 69 years. Despite the fact that age is a major risk factor for breast cancer, no evidence-based data are available on survival benefit of screening in women older than 69 years. The most commonly cited guidelines for screening in breast cancer disagree on the upper age limit of the target population. This age limit is a matter of cost-effectiveness and is influenced by active life expectancy, risk for breast cancer, comorbidity and functional status. Benefit of screening also depends on adherence rate of elderly women in screening programmes and optimal treatment of identified tumours. In a selected population of elderly women, screening for breast cancer might be cost-effective.