Breast Cancer Screening, New Treatments Have Significantly Reduced Mortality

By Rob Dillard - Last Updated: March 25, 2025

Breast cancer screening and new treatments for stage I-III breast cancer have led to a 58% reduction in US breast cancer mortality since the mid-1970s, according to a study published in JAMA.

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Researchers used 4 Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network models to simulate US breast cancer mortality rates. They simulated for death due to breast cancer, overall, and by estrogen receptor and ERBB2 (formerly HER2) status among women aged 30 to 79 years in the United States from 1975 to 2019. Researchers sought to assess how screening mammography, treatment of stage I-III breast cancer, and treatment of metastatic breast cancer have impacted mortality.

According to the results, the age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rate in the United States was 48/100,000 women in 1975 and 27/100,000 women in 2019. In 2019, the combination of enhanced breast cancer screening, treatment of stage I-III breast cancer, and treatment of metastatic breast cancer were associated with a 58% reduction in breast cancer mortality.

The researchers noted that a 25% reduction was associated with mammography screening, a 47% reduction was associated with treatment of stage I-III breast cancer, and a 29% reduction was associated with treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

“Based on 4 simulation models, breast cancer screening, treatment of stage I-III breast cancer, and treatment of metastatic breast cancer were each associated with reduced breast cancer mortality between 1975 and 2019 in the [United States],” the researchers concluded.

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