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Older Women Breast Cancer Survivors Not Continuing
Mammograms
April 24, 2006 - A new study finds use of annual
mammography among older female breast cancer survivors, who are at
increased risk of a recurrence or a new malignancy in the other breast,
dropped off after a few years. During the five year study period, only
one in three women in this high-risk group had received regular annual
mammograms.
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Health & Medicine |
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Published in the June 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a
peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals
the most significant factors predicting who got screened included being
seen by a gynecologist or primary care physician and having been treated
with breast conserving surgery.
There are more than 2.3 million women in the United
States who have been treated for breast cancer. Women with a history of
breast cancer face a three-fold increased risk of a malignancy in the
other breast. Recommendations for follow-up of these women include
annual mammography for early identification of subsequent cancers.
In the general population, mammography has been
demonstrated to be effective at reducing mortality. In breast cancer
survivors, mammography has been shown to identify tumors at early
stages, when treatment is more successful.
Existing studies show that mammography is
underutilized by the general population and by Medicare beneficiaries
who survived breast cancer. However, little is known about how often
survivors with managed care health insurance are screened and how
non-financial factors impact its use.
Chyke A. Doubeni, M.D., M.P.H. of the University of
Massachusetts Medical School and colleagues reviewed mammography use in
797 women over the age of 55 who had been treated for breast cancer.
Their objective was to identify patterns of mammography utilization in
women when health insurance coverage is not a factor.
The researchers found that in the first year after
treatment, 80 percent of women had received a screening mammogram. At
the fifth year of follow-up, only 63 percent had received a mammogram
that year, and only one in three women (33 percent) had received a
mammogram each year over the five years.
Women who were being cared for by their
gynecologist or primary care physician were the most likely to have
mammograms in the fifth year. While the impact of physician specialty in
mammography screening has been demonstrated in the general population,
this is the first report of this association in breast cancer survivors.
In addition, older women, particularly those with
other medical conditions, and those with late-stage tumors were
significantly less likely to have a mammogram.
The study indicates regular mammography for breast
cancer survivors declines steadily within five years of treatment.
"Efforts are needed to increase awareness among healthcare providers and
breast cancer survivors on the value of follow-up mammography," say the
authors.
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