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The study appears in The Archives of Internal Medicine. It found that over two years, 82 per cent of women with a net worth of $100,000 or more had a mammogram. For those whose worth was less than $10,000, the figure was 68 per cent.

In deciding whether older patients should get a mammogram, doctors are advised to consider whether they appear likely to live at least five more years, the researchers said. That is because the benefit of the screening tests tends not to be realised for some years after it is given. Beyond that, giving the test to women in poorer health may actually bring about harm, the researchers said. There may be complications related to false-positive results or from treatments for a disease that poses no real harm. When they looked at women considered unlikely to live five more years, they found 48 percent of the wealthier women got them, compared with 32 per cent of the poorer ones.

The researchers found a number of possible explanations for the disparities. It may be that the women with more money are more likely to ask for the tests, and their doctors less likely to say no. It may also be that though all the women were on Medicare, which lowers costs, the poorer ones still faced financial or other barriers to getting the exams. (NYT)

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