Choosing Wisely:

Don’t perform screening mammography in asymptomatic patients with normal exams who have less than five-year life expectancy.

Search Recommendations

Rationale and Comments: Mammography identifies breast cancers at early stages and has demonstrated benefits in reducing mortality and morbidity from a breast cancer diagnosis. There is minimal benefit of screening mammography in women with life expectancies of < five years. Additionally, there is a risk of false positives and potential procedures that do not provide patients improved outcomes.
Sponsoring Organizations:
  • American Society of Breast Surgeons – Benign Breast Disease
    • Sources:
  • Expert consensus
    		•
    Disciplines:
  • Gynecologic
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Oncologic
    		•
    References: • Schonberg MA, Breslau ES, McCarthy EP. Targeting of mammography screening according to life expectancy in women aged 75 and older. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013;61:388-395.
    • Walter LC, Schonberg MA. Screening mammography in older women: a review. JAMA. 2014;311:1336-1347.

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