Breast Cancer
Conditions
Keywords
6-24 months overdue, screening mammography
Brief summary
A randomized, double-blinded study conducted in British Columbia, Canada, where there is a publicly funded, organized screening program and screening mammography is recommended at 24-month intervals. Eligible women aged 51-73 years old and overdue for their screening mammogram by 6-24 months are identified in the database of the Screening Mammography Program of BC (SMPBC). Family physicians are recruited by mail and asked to sign letters to the overdue women in their practices. The overdue women are randomized and mailed either the signed reminder letter and the standard reminder postcard, or the standard reminder postcard alone. The primary endpoint is the proportion of overdue women attending a screening mammogram appointment 6 months after the mailing.
Interventions
OTHERStandard Reminder Postcard
OTHERFamily Physician Reminder Letter
Sponsors
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
British Columbia Cancer Agency
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
51 Years to 73 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Active family physicians (family physicians, general practitioners or primary care physicians) who have overdue women in their practice that meet the following criteria: * Previously been enrolled in the SMPBC and had a previous normal screening mammogram. * Have agreed to being contacted for research on the SMPBC questionnaire * Are 6-24 months overdue from their last screening mammogram * Live in BC * Have listed an active family physician as the contact to receive their mammography results
Exclusion criteria
* Family physicians who do not work in primary care * Family physicians who do not have overdue women in their practice
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Overdue Women Returning for Screening Mammography | 6 months | Percentage of overdue women returning for screening mammography, measured from the date of randomization |
Countries
Canada
Participant flow
Recruitment details
The breast cancer screening program participants were identified by their family physicians
Pre-assignment details
Only screenees who had not had a mammogram between identification of potential participants and randomization were randomized.
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Control Arm Mail
Standard Reminder Postcard | 2,749 |
| Family Physician Reminder Letter Arm Mail
Standard Reminder Postcard
Family Physician Reminder Letter | 2,749 |
| Total | 5,498 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Control Arm | Family Physician Reminder Letter Arm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Customized | 5498 participants | 2749 participants | 2749 participants |
| Region of Enrollment Canada | 5498 participants | 2749 participants | 2749 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 5498 Participants | 2749 Participants | 2749 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 2,749 | 0 / 2,749 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 2,749 | 0 / 2,749 |
Outcome results
Primary
Percentage of Overdue Women Returning for Screening Mammography
Percentage of overdue women returning for screening mammography, measured from the date of randomization
Time frame: 6 months
| Arm | Measure | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|
| Control Arm | Percentage of Overdue Women Returning for Screening Mammography | 24.0 percentage of participants |
| Family Physician Reminder Letter Arm | Percentage of Overdue Women Returning for Screening Mammography | 34.4 percentage of participants |