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Frequent Mammograms Tied to Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Spread

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer patients who have mammograms every 12 to 18 months have less chance of lymph node involvement than those who wait longer, therefore improving their outlook, according to an early new study.

As breast cancer progresses, cancer cells may spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body, requiring more extensive treatment.

"We found doing mammograms at intervals longer than one and a half years essentially does affect patient prognosis," said study researcher Dr. Lilian Wang. "In our study, those patients were found to have a significantly greater lymph node positivity."

From 2007 to 2010, Wang evaluated more than 300 women, all of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer found during a routine mammogram. She divided them into three groups, based on the interval between mammograms: less than one and a half years, one and a half to three years or more than three years. Most women were in the first category.