Regular mammography screenings are beneficial to women ages 75 and older, according to a new study. The study, which was published online in the journal Radiology, notes that breast cancer detected with a mammography is linked to earlier stage diagnosis in older women.

Earlier detection of such cases helps to cut back on the rate of more advanced cases that are harder to treat, the new study suggests.

Disagreements over the value of mammography screenings in older women has led to debates over the topic in recent years. The American Cancer Society suggests yearly mammograms for women ages 75 and older who are in good health, while the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force does not believe such a move will be beneficial, citing insufficient evidence for evaluating benefits and harms.

Judith A. Malmgren, PhD, affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Seattle, noted that the varied recommendations are largely due to lack of research on the subject. Malmgren said in a statement, “There are no studies on women age 75 and older, despite the fact that they are at the highest risk for breast cancer.”

“It’s easy to detect a cancer earlier in older women because breast density is not an issue,” Malmgren added. “And mammography is not expensive, so doing it every other year would not add a lot of cost to healthcare.”

According to breastcancer.org, approximately one in eight women, or a little over 12 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.