Women who miss their first breast cancer screening appointment have a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to new research.
Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analysed data from around 500,000 women invited to their first mammogram between 1991 and 2020. Published in the British Medical Journal, the study tracked participants for up to 25 years and found that 32% did not attend their initial screening.
These women were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, less likely to attend later screenings, and faced a significantly higher breast cancer mortality rate: 9.9 deaths per 1,000 women over 25 years, compared with seven among those screened.
The researchers concluded that missing the first appointment signals a long-term risk, as early screening behaviour strongly correlates with later health outcomes.
In a linked editorial, US experts said the findings showed that attending a first mammogram was “far more than a short-term health check” and represented a long-term investment in breast health.
In England, women are invited for breast screening from age 50 to 71, with the first invitation expected by age 53. The latest NHS figures show that 70% of eligible women are up to date with screening – leaving nearly one in three behind.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said the findings highlight a “worryingly high number of women” missing appointments and called for urgent action to improve access and uptake.
The study comes as global cancer cases are forecast to rise 61% by 2050, with deaths expected to reach 18.6 million a year. However, scientists also announced promising progress against pancreatic cancer this week, identifying a protein that could be targeted by future drugs to prevent the disease from spreading.
