OBJECTIVES: We evaluated mammography rates for cognitively impaired women in the context of their life expectancies, given that guidelines do not recommend screening mammography in women with limited life expectancies because harms outweigh benefits. METHODS: We evaluated Medicare claims for women aged 70 years or older from the 2002 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to determine which women had screening mammography. We calculated population-based estimates of 2-year screening mammography prevalence and 4-year survival by cognitive status and age. RESULTS: Women with severe cognitive impairment had lower rates of mammography (18%) compared with women with normal cognition (45%). Nationally, an estimated 120,000 screening mammograms were performed among women with severe cognitive impairment despite this group's median survival of 3.3 years (95% confidence interval = 2.8, 3.7). Cognitively impaired women who had high net worth and were married had screening rates approaching 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Although severe cognitive impairment is associated with lower screening mammography rates, certain subgroups with cognitive impairment are often screened despite lack of probable benefit. Given the limited life expectancy of women with severe cognitive impairment, guidelines should explicitly recommend against screening these women.
OBJECTIVES: We evaluated mammography rates for cognitively impaired women in the context of their life expectancies, given that guidelines do not recommend screening mammography in women with limited life expectancies because harms outweigh benefits. METHODS: We evaluated Medicare claims for women aged 70 years or older from the 2002 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to determine which women had screening mammography. We calculated population-based estimates of 2-year screening mammography prevalence and 4-year survival by cognitive status and age. RESULTS:Women with severe cognitive impairment had lower rates of mammography (18%) compared with women with normal cognition (45%). Nationally, an estimated 120,000 screening mammograms were performed among women with severe cognitive impairment despite this group's median survival of 3.3 years (95% confidence interval = 2.8, 3.7). Cognitively impaired women who had high net worth and were married had screening rates approaching 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Although severe cognitive impairment is associated with lower screening mammography rates, certain subgroups with cognitive impairment are often screened despite lack of probable benefit. Given the limited life expectancy of women with severe cognitive impairment, guidelines should explicitly recommend against screening these women.
Authors: Robert A Smith; Debbie Saslow; Kimberly Andrews Sawyer; Wylie Burke; Mary E Costanza; W Phil Evans; Roger S Foster; Edward Hendrick; Harmon J Eyre; Steven Sener Journal: CA Cancer J Clin Date: 2003 May-Jun Impact factor: 508.702
Authors: Kala M Mehta; Kristine Yaffe; Kenneth M Langa; Laura Sands; Mary A Whooley; Kenneth E Covinsky Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2003-05 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Eric B Larson; Marie-Florence Shadlen; Li Wang; Wayne C McCormick; James D Bowen; Linda Teri; Walter A Kukull Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2004-04-06 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: E Kathleen Adams; A Rana Bayakly; Alissa K Berzen; Sarah Blake; Peter Joski; Chunyu Li; Ingrid J Hall; Susan A Sabatino Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2015-03-27 Impact factor: 2.506
Authors: David F Warner; Siran M Koroukian; Nicholas K Schiltz; Kathleen A Smyth; Gregory S Cooper; Cynthia Owusu; Kurt C Stange; Nathan A Berger Journal: Gerontologist Date: 2019-05-17
Authors: Mara A Schonberg; Christine E Kistler; Larissa Nekhlyudov; Angela Fagerlin; Roger B Davis; Christina C Wee; Edward R Marcantonio; Carmen L Lewis; Whitney A Stanley; Trisha M Crutchfield; Mary Beth Hamel Journal: J Clin Trials Date: 2014