Mobile mammography appointments increase breast cancer screening participation in women far from radiology centers

This cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated whether adding a scheduled appointment at a mobile mammography unit (MMU) to the usual invitation could improve breast cancer screening participation among women facing geographic barriers. The study included 87,449 women aged 50-74 living in areas more than 15 minutes from a radiology center in Normandy, France. Clusters (320 areas) were randomized to either receive the MMU appointment in addition to the standard organized screening invitation (intervention) or to receive the standard invitation alone (control).

The primary outcome was the breast cancer screening participation rate. In the intervention arm, 22,964 of 38,382 invited women were screened (59.8%). In the control arm, 25,099 of 49,067 invited women were screened (51.1%). This represents an absolute increase of 8.7 percentage points, which was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The authors conclude the intervention was associated with increased participation.

Safety, tolerability, and adverse event data for the intervention were not reported. The study did not assess clinical outcomes such as cancer detection rates, stage at diagnosis, or mortality, limiting the understanding of the intervention's ultimate health impact. The follow-up duration is also not explicitly reported.

For practice, this trial provides evidence that proactively scheduling appointments at mobile units can significantly increase screening uptake in populations with geographic access barriers, potentially reducing inequities. However, clinicians should recognize this as a participation study only; the downstream benefits and any potential harms of the strategy require further investigation.