Childhood Cancer Survivors: Many Miss Mammograms Later in Life

Despite recommendations and being at an increased risk of breast cancer, most young women who were treated with chest radiation for a childhood cancer do not undergo appropriate mammography screening, according to a study in the January 28 issue of JAMA. Women treated with chest radiation for a pediatric malignancy face a significantly increased risk of breast cancer at a young age. “The risk of breast cancer begins to increase as early as eight years after radiation and the median [midpoint] age of breast cancer diagnosis ranges from 32 to 35 years,” the authors write. By age 45 years, it's estimated that from 12 percent to 20 percent of women treated with moderate- to high-dose chest radiation will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Experts recommend annual screening mammography for women exposed to moderate- to high-dose chest radiation, starting at 25 years of age or eight years after radiation, whichever occurs last. It's estimated that in the United States there are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 women who are 25 years or older and were treated for a pediatric malignancy with moderate- to high-dose chest radiation. There is limited published information regarding the breast cancer screening practices of women who were treated with chest radiation for a childhood malignancy, according to background information in the article.