Attrition is a gradual process of wearing down, weakening, or destroying something. When a company wants to reduce its payroll without firing anyone, it will sometimes do so through attrition; that is, by waiting for people to retire or quit without hiring anyone new to replace them. In a more general sense, the word means break down, wear out, or reduce in numbers.
Getting screened for breast cancer is a no-brainer, and a lot of the improvements in cancer mortality have been attributed to screening. Women over the age of 40 should undergo annual screening mammography. There is no data showing at what age annual screening should stop.If a womanâs life expectancy is greater than five years, she still benefits from screening. The life expectancy of an 80-year-old woman is eight years, so she should still be screened.omen over the age of 40 should undergo annual screening mammography. There is no data showing at what age annual screening should stop. If a womanâs life expectancy is greater than five years, she still benefits from screening.
Mayo Clinic doctors continue to review studies about mammogram guidelines to understand what the studies mean for women's health. Changes to mammogram guidelines might or might not be necessary in the future, as researchers continue studying this topic. Mayo Clinic supports screening beginning at age 40 because screening mammograms can detect breast abnormalities early in women in their 40s. Findings from randomized trials of women in their 40s and 50s have demonstrated that screening mammograms decrease breast cancer deaths by 15 to 29 percent.