HHS HealthBeat (October 17, 2007)

Shrinking cases of breast cancer

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Breast cancer remains the second-leading cancer killer of women. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that, for certain types of cases, the picture is looking better.

An instance is cases of invasive cancer, where cancer cells have spread to surrounding breast tissue or other parts of the body. The CDC’s Sherri Stewart:

``Rates of invasive breast cancer have dropped every year from 1999 to 2003.’’ (5 seconds)

Still, about 30 percent of American women are not getting regular breast exams, including a mammogram every one to two years for women aged 40 or older. 

Mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.  That’s especially important because researchers found a reduction in localized or early-stage cancer but not in late-stage cancer.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008