A pioneering study has been launched by Cancer Research UK to look at the value of annual breast cancer screening for women between 40 to 44 who have a significant family history of the disease.

The project will recruit about 10,000 women in 34 cancer networks throughout the United Kingdom. The researchers will attempt to reach a definitive answer about whether screening this particular group of women will save lives.

"We are looking at women with a significant family history of breast cancer but not one strong enough to suspect a high risk gene mutation," said Dr. Stephen Duffy, an epidemiologist with Cancer Research UK. "For example, we would look at women whose mother had contracted breast cancer before the age of 40 or whose mother had cancer in both breasts under the age of 50."

"The women will be given annual mammograms for five years. The number of tumors and the stage at which they are detected will be compared with what would be expected if screening had not taken place," Duffy continued.

A second arm of the study will look at the psychological effects of regular screening in younger women.

"It is already stressful for these women to undergo regular screening as they have an acknowledged higher risk of breast cancer," said Dr. Joan Austoker of Oxford University, leader of the psychological study. "Mammography will pick things up that need to be tested and although the majority of lumps turn out not to be cancer, it can be distressing for women to go through this process. On the other hand, many women will find early screening very reassuring. All this needs to be balanced."

Other sources: Cancer Research UK