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DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2005--A new study from Johns Hopkins researchers documents the urgent need to ease mammography pain experienced by many African-American women, said Baylor breast surgeon Gail Lebovic, M.D.
The study, published in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of Community Health, found that 76% of African-American women reported mammography discomfort, with 96% of them blaming machine compression. Of those women, a statistically significant percentage said discomfort from the procedure made it less likely they would have another mammogram within two years. The survey encompassed 530 black women, age 45 and older, who lived in urban settings.
"Unfortunately, African-American women are already less likely than white American women to get regular mammograms. We know that black women are more likely to die of breast cancer because they present at a later stage of disease," Dr. Lebovic said. "This new study now shows that, due to mammography pain, many black women don't get mammograms that could save their lives. These findings underscore the medical necessity of making mammography more comfortable."
Dr. Lebovic is the inventor of the MammoPad breast cushion, an FDA-cleared, soft foam pad designed to make mammograms more comfortable. Numerous published clinical studies have shown MammoPad significantly reduces the kind of pain that deters women from getting regular mammograms.
Among African-American women who have benefited from the MammoPad is Gratia Wright, a focus group moderator and owner of First Research, based in Greensboro, N.C. "I knew the value of annual mammograms before, but the pain of getting them was so excruciating that I stopped," she said. "Learning about the breast cushion made it possible for me to get mammograms again, and without pain." Wright added that she hoped MammoPad, in conjunction with the new study findings, will "encourage more African-American women to get the regular mammograms they need."
Dr. Lebovic noted that in addition to the breast cushion, other steps to reduce mammography pain include taking an analgesic before the exam and not scheduling a mammogram in the week before a woman's menstrual period, when her breasts are more likely to be tender.
"Reducing mammography discomfort will help us all reach our shared goal of making sure that every woman gets regular screening mammograms, which have been demonstrated to save lives," said Jill Anderson, President of BioLucent, Inc., maker of MammoPad. "This effort is especially important for minority women, who have lower rates of breast screening than Caucasian women.
The study by Johns Hopkins researchers has been given added urgency by publication of a separate study by the National Medical Association. Released in late July, the study reported that black people have become even more likely to die of cancer than are whites. While the death rate for cancer has been declining for both races, the study found there has been more progress in reducing cancer deaths among whites.
"Taken together, these two studies point to something of a crisis in healthcare for African-American women," said Dr. Lebovic. "In order to decrease the death rates from breast cancer in the underserved community, it's essential that we use proven measures to make it easier for African-American women to get regular mammograms."
Dr. Lebovic is an internationally recognized breast surgeon specializing in oncoplastic surgery. Now lead surgeon at Baylor Breast Care Specialists of North Texas, she has previously held positions at Stanford University Medical Center and the University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a co-founder of BioLucent, Inc., a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and sits on the board of the American Society of Breast Disease.
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