|
|
May 17, 2007:
Fewer women across the United States are
getting mammograms, and the rate of using
mammograms has dropped the most among those who
have traditionally been most likely to be screened
for breast cancer.
This trend is worrying health officials in the
United States.
According to official figures from the National
Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), the percentage of women taking the
mammograms for detection of breast cancer risk
have fallen – from 70% in 2000 to 66% in 2005.
There has also been a 6.8% fall in the rate among
women aged 50 to 64 – the largest of any age
group. Experts say that this is worrying, as women
in this group are the most likely to benefit from
getting mammograms.
According to Robert Smith, director of cancer
screening, the American Cancer Society, a decline
in the utilisation of mammography is going to
result in a higher rate of cancers diagnosed at an
advanced stage. And, this will mean more
aggressive treatment and, in some instances, it
may mean that women who would have survived if
their cancer had been found earlier will not
survive.
Between 1987 and 2000, mammography screening rates
had jumped from 39% to 70% among eligible women –
aged 40 and above.
Smith adds that getting women to understand the
importance of regular screening is among the
biggest challenges facing organizations like the
American Cancer Society and the National Cancer
Institute.
Women need to remember that the value of
mammography is achieved through regular screening,
Smith stresses.
Anees Chagpar, a breast cancer surgeon from the
University of Louisville, the United States, feels
that many women may not be aware of the cheap
screening programmes available. Other factors
include a decline in the number of women having
health insurance and the health promotion
campaigns not laying adequate stress on
mammography.
Some of the sharpest declines were seen among
women with the highest family incomes, those with
regular access to medical care, and those with
both public and private health insurance.
Reports questioning the value of regular breast
cancer screening may have had an impact on usage,
as has the news that the incidence of breast
cancer is dropping.
Women have already showed a natural tendency to
dislike the breast X-rays owing to their
discomfort.
Cancer experts say that, MRI notwithstanding, at
present, mammography is the only commonly
prevailing, convenient and economically feasible
method to detect breast cancer. The American
Cancer Society recommends that women aged 40 years
and above go for mammograms annually and all other
women have one at least every two years.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
|
