Only 6% of women over 40 get an annual screening mammogram for breast cancer, USA
Women who went to a major breast center in Boston, USA, were followed up for a period of ten years. The study included 72,417 women. A total of 254,818 mammograms were carried out during the 1985-2002 period.
According to Dr. James Michaelson, only 6% of the women had a mammogram every year during the 1992-2002 period. Dr. James Michaelson works at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He said that during a ten-year period these women should have had 10 mammograms. The average turned out to be just 5.1.
Dr. Michaelson and his team used a computer program into which they entered their data - the program was designed to consider breast cancer detection and growth and spread. They found that one of the greatest contributors to an increase in the death rate of breast cancer was lack of screening (not having the annual mammography).
The team found that the following types were the one most likely to underuse mammograms:
-- Those who were not insured
-- Certain socio-economic groups (the poor)
-- Those who did not speak English
-- Those who did not speak English well
The ones most likely to get their annual screening were:
-- Women aged 55-65
-- Those with a history of breast cancer
The researchers said more needs to be done to get women over 40 to have their annual screening.
Doar 6% din femeile peste 40 de primi o mamografie anualã de screening pentru cancerul de sân, SUA - Only 6% of women over 40 get an annual screening mammogram for breast cancer, USA - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate