Cancer Screening *

What is breast cancer screening?

Screening is looking for cancer before you have any symptoms. Screening can help find cancer at an early stage, when it is easier to treat. The most common way to screen for breast cancer is to get a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the inside of the breast. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2010) Mammograms can find about 80% (80 out of 100) of all breast cancers. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009)

Breast cancer occurs when there are tumors, or groups of cells clumped together, in breast tissue. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009) Early breast cancer can be hard to notice or feel. A mammogram can find signs of cancer before you may be able to feel something like a hard lump in your breast. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009)

When breast cancer is found early, it has a higher chance of being treated successfully. Mammograms are important because they can find changes before you can.

Who is at risk for breast cancer?
Breast cancer mainly affects women who are 55 years old or older. People with a family history of breast cancer or cancer of the ovaries may also be more likely to get breast cancer. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009) Women with higher risks of breast cancer should get mammograms at an earlier age. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2009)

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women. Breast cancer is more common for white women than women of other races or backgrounds. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010)

Some women are more likely to die because of breast cancer than other women. More Hispanic women die from breast cancer than any other type of cancer. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010) African American women with breast cancer are more likely to die because of breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010) Some research has found that African American women get breast cancer at an earlier age than most women.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about your risks for breast cancer.

• Every year, almost 1 in 10 people in the U.S. get breast cancer. (Source: National Cancer Institute, 2010) In Michigan, the rate is the same: 1 in 10 people got breast cancer in 2009. (Source: The Cancer Burden in Michigan: Selected Statistics - 1991-2009)
• Some of the women in our community might not get mammograms when they need them. In Michigan, about 6 in 10 women aged 40 years and older had a mammogram in 2007. If more women were screened, more women would get diagnosed at an early stage, when it is easier to cure and less likely to need surgery to remove the breast. (Source: Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 2008)
  

What is the recommended care for breast cancer screening?
All women between the ages of 50 and 74 need a mammogram every other year. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2009) Some women who may be more likely to get breast cancer may need to start getting mammograms at an earlier age (40 or even earlier). Some women who may be more likely to get breast cancer may also need mammograms or other tests more often. (Source: Susan G. Komen for the Cure, 2010) Recommendations vary for women aged 40 to 49 who are healthy and have no risk factors. For these women, the benefits of screening mammograms need to be balanced with the risks. The upside is that mammograms can catch breast cancer early. The downside is that mammograms mean that women get low doses of radiation which may cause harm. Each woman should talk with her doctor about her specific risks. Together they can decide when to start mammograms and how often she should get them. Women should be aware of how their breasts normally look and feel and talk to their doctor right away if they see any changes. (American Cancer Society, 2010)

The guideline used in the report on this site shows how often women 40 to 69 years old in each of the major southeast Michigan physician organizations received a screening mammogram every two years. Higher scores are better.