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Community Corner

Breast Cancer Rates Fall in Prince George's

Study recommends mammograms beginning at age 40.

Recent trends in breast cancer detection have wavered. To perform breast self-exams, or not? To get mammograms, or not?

The worry about breast self-exams is that they may skew results into too many false-positive tests. Some who recommend fewer mammograms have suggested that over-screening leads to unnecessary invasive tests and undue anxiety.

In Prince George's County, the breast cancer rate in females is falling, according to a Centers of Disease Control report from 2007, however, the average number of deaths per year over a four-year period is 124 women. Statewide the average is 888 deaths over the same period of time.

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According to the American Cancer Society, in Maryland, experts predict 4,850 new cases of breast cancer to be diagnosed this year.

“While there has been ongoing debate about when and how breast cancer screening should occur," said Dr. Jamie Caughran, medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at the Lacks Cancer Center in Grand Rapids, MI. "This study validates that women who undergo regular mammography screening present at earlier stages and often require less aggressive treatment than those who do not."

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The Chief Medical Officer with the American Cancer Society, agrees. 

“The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40," CMO Otis W. Brawley said.

Caughran, who helped lead the research team for a recent study on mammography said women age 40 and up should use both methods for detection. High-risk patients should seek advice from their doctors about the age for and frequency of tests.

The Michigan study, completed this year with data from nearly 6,000 women with breast cancer, counters guidelines by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which recommends generally that women get mammograms every two years beginning at age 50. The USPSTF notes that screenings should be determined on an individual basis.

Among other findings in the Michigan study:

  • Breast cancer in women younger than 50 was more likely to be detected first by feel than by mammography. Of the women whose tumors were found by feel, 40 percent were younger than 50.
  • Overall, 65 percent of the breast cancer cases were detected by mammography, while 30 percent were detected by feel and the other 5 percent by other methods.
  • For women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, 49 percent of the cases were detected by mammogram. Of those, 18 percent were Stage 2, and 4 percent were Stage 3.
  • For women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, 46 percent of the cases were detected by feel. Of those, 50 percent were Stage 2, and 17 percent were Stage 3.
  • For women over 50, 81 percent of breast cancers are detected through mammography.

In 2011, ASCO predicts 230,480 new cases of breast cancer for women, 2,140 for men, and 57,650 non-invasive cases. About one in eight women will develop breast cancer, according to ASCO.

“Women of all ages presented with palpable tumors, highlighting the use of self-breast exam as an important public health measure,” Caughran said.

More information on national and local cancer statistic can be found on the National Cancer Institutewebsite.

FAQ about prevention is available through the American Cancer Society.

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