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Frequent breast cancer testing is vital for women with history of the disease

Category: Breast

Women who survive breast cancer are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing a recurrence of the disease. Now a new study has confirmed the benefits of frequent breast cancer testing for these women.

The University of Sydney researchers said that early detection is key in the battle against breast cancer. This is why frequent cancer testing is so important. While this is something that doctors have known intuitively for a long time, there has been little evidence to back up frequent screening.

For the study, the investigation team reviewed the results of nearly 60,000 breast cancer tests from almost 20,000 women. They found that participants who had a prior history of breast cancer were almost twice as likely to receive a second positive cancer test.

"Because of the risk of interval cancers, it's important that women seek medical care for any breast changes or concerns between mammograms," said Diana Miglioretti, who took part in the research. "The good news is that most of the breast cancers detected in breast cancer survivors between mammography screens were early stage."