Many older breast cancer survivors who were expected to live <5 years received annual surveillance mammography, according to an analysis involving more than 1,000 individuals. Meanwhile, some survivors whose life expectancy was >10 years did not receive mammography. Investigators evaluated surveillance mammography use in women age ≥65 with a history of breast cancer, looking at the probability of mammography within the last year by 5- and 10-year life expectancy. Among the results:

• 9% of patients had a life expectancy of ≤5 years; 35% were expected to live ≤10 years.
• Overall, 8 in every 10 said they had routine mammography in the prior year.
• 57% of patients with ≤5-year life expectancy said they received mammography in the prior year.
• Two-thirds of those expected to live ≤10 years said they received such.
• Conversely, 14% of those with life expectancy >10 years did not have mammography.