The limitations of breast cancer screening for first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients.

Bitter controversy surrounds the recommendation of mammographic breast-cancer screening for women aged 40 and 49 years of average risk. This paper considers the case for screening women in their 40s with higher risk, specifically women who have one or more first-degree relatives with breast cancer. A review of the literature and of current knowledge suggests that screening such women is more cost-effective, in the sense of having a higher yield per mammogram and better predictive value, than screening women of average risk in this age group. However, there is no evidence that screening is more efficacious in reducing mortality in this subgroup than in other women in their 40s.