Mammography On The Rise For Women Age 50 And Over

According to a report released July 26, 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, almost 7 out of 10 women aged 50 years and over say they have had a mammogram in the past two years. This new data is the latest comprehensive report on the nation's health.

According to the report, 69 percent of women ages 50 and over reported recent mammography in 1998. This is up from 61 percent in 1994, and more than two-and-a-half times the total from 1987 when only 27 percent of women reported recent mammograms.

"This is positive news. We've come a long way in educating women about the importance of early detection as a vital prevention tool in battling breast cancer," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "And with our expanded Medicare coverage for annual mammograms, we're hoping to see this upward trend continue."

Substantial increases in mammography screening occurred for poor women as well as for women with family incomes at or above the federal poverty level. However poor women were less likely to receive screening than women at higher income levels. Among women living below the poverty threshold in 1998 only 53 percent reported recent mammography screening compared with 72 percent of women at or above the poverty level.

Health and Human Services programs are working to address this need. CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides mammography screening services to under served women.

Other good news is that fewer women are dying from breast cancer. The age-adjusted death rates from breast cancer for women fell from 23 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 19 in 1998.

Women who cannot afford mammography screening can find more information about free mammography screening programs on the CDC web site. 

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