Complain about a product or service

Breast Cancer Survivors Skipping Mammograms, Study Finds

April 24, 2006

Breast Cancer • Recommended Changes to Breast Cancer Screenings Cause Controversy • Optical Biopsy Provides Surgery-Free Diagnosis • Breast Cancer Lawsuit Alleged Needless Suffering, Death • New Chemo Cocktail Blocks Breast Cancer 'Like A Fence' • Physically Fit Women Less Likely To Die Of Breast Cancer • No Link Found Between Caffeine and Breast Cancer Risk • Older Women at Greater Risk of Breast Cancer • Companies Agree To Cut Cancer-Causing Chemicals In Potato Chips • What Women -- and Men -- Should Know about Breast Cancer • Daily Aspirin May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer • FDA Approves New Genetic Test for Breast Cancer • Gene Mutation Spreads Breast Cancer • Research Finds Green Tea Helpful Against Breast Cancer • Marijuana Compound May Fight Breast Cancer • Mayo Clinic Sees New Hope In Breast Cancer Drug • FDA Approves Evista For Reducing Breast Cancer Risk • Side Effects Drive Women from Breast Cancer Drug • Hypnosis Reduces Pain and Costs in Breast Cancer Surgery • Grapefruit Linked to Breast Cancer • Study Finds No Link Between Abortion, Miscarriage and Breast Cancer • Falling Breast Cancer Rates Linked to Declining Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy • Hispanic Women Three Times More Likely to Develop Advanced Breast Cancer • MRI Screening of Opposite Breast Necessary for Women with Breast Cancer • FDA Approves Tykerb for Advanced Breast Cancer Patients • FDA Clears New Breast Cancer Test • Needle Biopsy May Not Be Enough to Rule Out Breast Cancer in Some Cases • Red Meat May Increase Breast Cancer Risk • Breast Cancer Survivors Skipping Mammograms, Study Finds • Breast Implant Complications Frequent, Study Finds • Tests Show Drug Fights Aggressive Breast Cancer • California Sues to Require Cancer Warnings on Potato Chips and French Fries • Study Ties Fries To Breast Cancer Risk • Low-Fat Diet May Reduce Risk of Recurrent Breast Cancer • Study Suggests Pain Reliever, Breast Cancer Link • Trials Show Herceptin Aids Breast Cancer Recovery • That Pink Ribbon Can Be Misleading, Consumer Group Warns • Survival Better When Breast Cancer Detected Through Mammography

A new study finds use of annual mammography among 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 population had received regular annual mammograms. The study was published in the June 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Researchers said the most significant factors affecting women's behavior included being seen by a gynecologist or primary care physician and having been treated with breast conserving surgery.

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.

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 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," said the authors.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.