Mammography Rates Declining in the U.S.

May 15, 2007 - Since 2000, mammography rates have declined significantly in the U.S. according to a new study published in the June 15, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

The study confirms that screening mammography rates to detect breast cancer fell by as much as four percent nationwide between 2000 and 2005. This is the first study to show that the trend is nationwide among women for whom the test is intended to reduce mortality risk.

Regular mammography is the most efficacious screening test for the early detection of breast cancer available to women today. Not only does it detect early tumors in breast tissue, but also its widespread use by women over 40 years old since the 1980s has lead to a reduction in breast cancer mortality in the U.S.