Medicare-backed breast cancer screenings skyrocket, but do patients benefit?

Breast cancer screening costs for Medicare patients in the United States skyrocketed between 2001 and 2009, but the increase did not lead to earlier detection of new breast cancer cases, according to a study. While the number of screening mammograms performed among Medicare patients remained stable during the same time period, the study focused on the adoption of newer imaging technologies in the Medicare population, such as digital mammography.