JNCI Compares Opportunistic and Population-Based Screening
Data recently published in the Journal of the National Institute (JNCI) compares two different approaches to screen patients for breast cancer, opportunistic and population-based screening.
The research team, based in Vermont, compared the incidence rates in two cohorts of women screened. One cohort was from Vermont, totaling 45,050 women, and the other group was from Norway, a total of 194,430 women.
The two cohorts of comprised of patients screened with two different approaches to determine the timing of screening. In the Vermont cohort, women were screened for breast cancer with an opportunistic screening method. In Norway, alternatively, women are screened for breast cancer using an organized, population-based screening approach.
In Vermont, women generally undergo screening because of their age. This is the standard of care in the United States. In Norway, however, women undergo breast cancer screening based on the recommendation of a clinician.
Another important difference between the two groups is that the screening interval in Norway is often longer. Moreover, results in the U.S. are usually interpreted by one reader, rather than two independent reviewers.
The researchers compared the incidence of breast cancer in the two groups of patients. Other endpoints of interest included recall rate and interval rates of malignancy.
Findings indicate that the two screening approaches are comparable in the detection of breast cancer. In addition, the prognoses determined by both methods were similar. Notably, the interval cancer rate in the Norweigan rate was lower, a finding that was statistically significant.
These findings may have implications for the current care standard for breast cancer screening in the U.S. If the approach in Norway is equally as efficacious and offers potential cost savings, it may be worth examination in light of the strained financial resources of the healthcare system.
July 30, 2008 Related topics: Diagnostic