| Demographic Group: | All female residents. |
| Numerator: | Deaths with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code C50 (ICD-9 code 174) as the underlying cause of death among female residents during a calendar year. |
| Denominator: | Midyear resident female population for the same calendar year. |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual number of deaths. Annual mortality rate — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population based on single years of age from the Census P25-1130 series estimates*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Calendar year. |
| Background: | During 2001, cancer of the female breast caused approximately 40,200 deaths. Approximately 211,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women; one in every eight women will have breast cancer during her lifetime. |
| Significance: | Mammography screening with or without clinical breast examination can reduce breast cancer deaths by 16% among women aged >=40 years, and the risk reduction is greater among older women. Although limited scientific controversy remains regarding the benefits versus the risks of screening women in their 40s, mammography and clinical breast examination are recommended for women aged 50–69 years. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Because breast cancer can have a long latency period, years might pass before changes in behavior or clinical practice affect population mortality. |
| Data Resources: | Death certificate data from vital statistics agencies (numerator) and population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census or suitable alternative (denominator).
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/Table.aspx?Group=TableGeo&Year=2001&Display=n |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | Causes of death and other variables listed on the death certificate might be inaccurate. |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | 3-3: Reduce the breast cancer death rate. |
