Using a decision aid may prompt some younger women (38-50 years) to rethink breast cancer screening plans

Commentary on: Ivlev I, Hickman EN, McDonagh MS, et al. Use of patient decision aids increased younger women's reluctance to begin screening mammography: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2017;32:802–13.

Implications for practice and research

Patient decision aids appear to increase the proportion of women aged 38–50 who do not intend to undergo breast cancer screening (8.5% absolute difference).

More high-quality research is needed, including large-scale randomised controlled trials in additional settings, with a focus on important outcomes such as knowledge and informed choice.

Context

Mammographic screening for breast cancer may lead to both benefit (breast cancer mortality reduction) and harm (overdiagnosis of cancers that would never become clinically relevant, and false-positive screening results where no cancer is present). The trade-offs among these potential consequences of screening vary in magnitude and importance depending on women's age, health and personal values. Patient decision aids (PtDAs) have therefore been recommended to help women understand...

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