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A CUP OF HEALTH WITH CDC
Get Your Mammogram!
Use of Mammograms Among Women Aged >40 Years --- Unites States, 2000-2005
May 25, 2007

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC – safer, healthier people.

[Matthew Reynolds] Welcome to A Cup of Health with CDC, a weekly broadcast of the
MMWR, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. I’m your host, Matthew Reynolds.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second
leading cause of cancer-related death. Mammograms are an important tool for finding
breast cancer early and most medical organizations recommend that women have their
first mammogram at age 40 and then continue having mammograms every year or two
after that. A recent CDC study found that fewer women are getting regular
mammograms – the number dropped slightly between 2000 and 2005. This is
worrisome because regular mammograms can reduce deaths from breast cancer.
We have Blythe Ryerson with us today in the studio to talk about the study. Blythe is
with CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in Atlanta. It’s great to have you
here today, Blythe.

[Blythe Ryerson] Thanks, Matthew. I’m glad to be here.

[Matthew Reynolds] Blythe, why is it so important for women to get mammograms?

[Blythe Ryerson] As you said before, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed
cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer related death for women in the U.S.
In 2002, over 182,000 women were diagnosed and 41,000 died from the disease.
Although breast cancer cannot be completely prevented, mammograms can detect
breast cancer early, even before a tumor is big enough to feel or cause symptoms.
Early detection is important because finding breast cancer early allows for more
effective treatments and lowers a woman’s risk of dying from it.

[Matthew Reynolds] How does CDC track the number of breast cancer cases and the
number of women getting mammograms?

[Blythe Ryerson] It’s important for CDC to collect health information so that we can
monitor changes in cancer rates, so that we can find out how cancer affects different
groups differently, and it also helps us to plan and evaluate our cancer prevention
efforts. We collect this information through a number of programs. Our National
Program of Cancer Registries collects data from state based systems about cancer
diagnoses and deaths so that we can better understand and address the cancer burden
more effectively. There are also a number of surveys including the Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System and the National Health Interview survey that collect
information about risk factors and screening behaviors for women throughout the U.S.
Among many other factors, these surveys collect information on how many women have
been screened for breast cancer and how often they get re-screened.

[Matthew Reynolds] Your study looked at the most recent findings. What did you
learn?

[Blythe Ryerson] Our study looked at data from 2000-2005, the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, to see whether women 40 or older in the U.S. were getting
mammograms every one to two years, as is recommended. And what we found was
that in 2000, about three out of four women said they followed the current
recommendations, but by 2005 this number had actually dropped.

[Matthew Reynolds] How much did the number of women following the
recommendations change?

[Blythe Ryerson] It dropped from 76.4% in 2000 to 74.6% in 2005 or a difference of
about 1.8%, and this might seem like a small change to some people, but it does
represent about 1.1 million fewer women not being screened for breast cancer regularly.
And since we know mammograms help prevent deaths form breast cancer and yet one
out of four women are not getting screened regularly, we would prefer to see the
number of women maintaining regular screening schedules going up, certainly not going
down.

[Matthew Reynolds] Blythe, why do you think there are fewer women getting regular
mammograms done?

[Blythe Ryerson] I think that’s a great question, I think it’s a little difficult to answer at
this point. There have been a few reports that discuss the ability of our health care
system to handle the steady rise in the number of women who are reaching the breast
cancer screening age. Some studies have shown that breast imaging facilities are
facing some challenges, such as shortages of key personnel and financial constraints;
however, we’re still uncertain as to whether true supply and demand issues are
affecting mammography usage and even if they are, it is likely only one of many
reasons affecting the numbers. Until we know more about which groups are most
affected, it’s difficult to describe the particular barriers to screening; however, we do
have ongoing analyses to look at trends of mammography usage by different groups of
women.

[Matthew Reynolds] Even though CDC will continue to study this, are there things
being done now to help increase the number of women getting mammograms?

[Blythe Ryerson] Absolutely. One of our most successful programs is the National
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program, which in partnership with state
and territorial health departments, tribes, and tribal organizations provides cancer
screening and diagnostic services to low income, uninsured, and underserved women.
Since the program began in 1991, we’ve provided over 2 million mammograms to over
1.2 million women and this is just one example of the many CDC programs and
research efforts that we’re dong to raise breast cancer awareness, look at barriers to
screening, and to stress the importance of mammograms and mammography rescreening.

[Matthew Reynolds] Blythe, what’s the bottom line on what you want women to know
about this issue?

[Blythe Ryerson] To get screened. Women should have their first mammogram at the
age of 40 and they should continue getting them every 1 to 2 years.

[Matthew Reynolds] Thanks, Blythe, for taking the time to talk to us today.

[Blythe Ryerson] It was my pleasure. Thank you, Matthew.

[Matthew Reynolds] That’s it for this week’s show. Don’t forget to join us next week.
Until then, be well. This is Matthew Reynolds for A Cup of Health with CDC.

[Announcer] To access the most accurate and relevant health information that affects you,
your family and your community, lease visit www.cdc.gov.