Table 2.
Summary of main incidence-based mortality studies on breast cancer screening.
| Study | Country | Areas in study | Age of screened women | Data on treatments in screening and non-screening areas | Comparison areas where no screening existed during the entire screening period | Historical comparison areasa | Effect of screening on the risk of BC death | Adjustment of results for: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-selection | Incidence | Lead time | ||||||||
| Tabár et al. 2003 [27] | Sweden | Dalarna and Kopparberg counties | 40 to 69 | No | No | No | -45% | Yes | Yes | No | 
| Olsen et al. 2005 [28] | Denmark | Copenhagen where screening took place compared to the rest of the country | 50 to 69 | No | Yes | Yes | -25% | No | No | No | 
| SOSSEG 2006 [29] | Sweden | About half of Swedish counties | 40(50) to 69(74) | Yes, but only in non-participants | No | No | -27% | Yes | Yes | No | 
| Jonsson 2007 [30] | Sweden | Four Swedish counties | 40 to 74 | No | Yes | No | -26% | Yes | No | Yes | 
| Anttila et al. 2008 [31] | Finland | All the country | 50 to 69 | No | No | No | -11% | No | No | No | 
| Hellquist et al. 2010 [32] | Sweden | All Swedish counties | 40 to 49 | No | Yes | No | -26% | Yes | No | Yes | 
| Kalager et al. 2010 [33] | Norway | Four counties with pilot program plus comparison counties | 50 to 69 | No | Yes | Yes | -10% (NS) | No | No | No | 
| Olsen et al. 2012 [34] | Norway | Four counties with pilot program plus comparison counties | 50 to 69 | No | Yes | Yes | -7 (NS) | No | No | No | 
BC: breast cancer; NS: statistically non-significant. aData on breast cancer death rates in historical comparison groups, that is, in screening areas and in comparison areas before screening started in screening areas.