Women who skip their first mammogram have a 40% higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who undergo the screening on time. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who published their study in the *British Medical Journal (BMJ)*.

The study analyzed data from nearly 500,000 women who were first invited to undergo mammography between 1991 and 2020.

Thirty-two percent of participants did not attend their initial screening, and these women were also significantly less likely to attend subsequent examinations.

In this group, breast cancer was more often diagnosed at later stages.

Over 25 years of follow-up, the mortality rate among women who missed their first screening was 9.9 cases per 1,000, compared to 7 cases per 1,000 among those who underwent screening. At the same time, the incidence rate was about the same in both groups, underscoring the critical importance of early detection.

Researchers note that the first mammogram can be critically important for predicting risk and preventing fatal outcomes in the future.