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Breat cancer risk and provider recommendation for mammography among recently unscreened women in the United States

Journal of General Internal Medicine volume 21, pages 285–291 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many women with increased breast cancer risk have not been screened recently. Provider recommendation for mammography is an important reason many women undergo screening. We examined the association between breast cancer risk and reported provider recommendation for mammography in recently unscreened women.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using 2000 National Health Interview Survey.

PARTICIPANTS: In all, 1673 women ages 40 to 75 years without cancer who saw a health care provider in the prior year and had no mammogram within 2 years.

MEASUREMENTS AND ANALYSIS: We assessed breast cancer risk by Gail score and risk factors. We used multivariable logistic regression models in SUDAAN adjusted for age, race and illness burden, to examine the association between risk and reported recommendation for mammography within 1 year for all women and women ages 50 to 75 years.

RESULTS: Of 1673 recently unscreened women, 29% reported a recommendation. Twelve percent of women had increased Gail risk and of these recently unscreened, high-risk women, 25% reported a recommendation. After adjustment, high-risk women were not more likely to report a recommendation than average-risk women. Results were similar for women 50 to 75 years old. No individual breast cancer factors other than age were associated with reporting a recommendation.

CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 70% of recently unscreened women seen by a health care provider in the prior year reported no recommendation for mammography, regardless of breast cancer risk. This did not include women who received a recommendation and were screened. Increasing reported recommendation rates may represent an opportunity to increase screening participation among recently unscreened women, particularly for women with increased breast cancer risk.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Susan A. Sabatino MD, MPH, Risa B. Burns MD, MPH, Roger B. Davis ScD, Russell S. Phillips MD & Ellen P. McCarthy PhD, MPH

  2. Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Susan A. Sabatino MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Susan A. Sabatino MD, MPH
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  2. Risa B. Burns MD, MPH
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  3. Roger B. Davis ScD
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  4. Russell S. Phillips MD
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  5. Ellen P. McCarthy PhD, MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan A. Sabatino MD, MPH.

Additional information

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

The research of Dr. Sabatino was conducted during fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Sabatino was supported by an institutional National Research Service Award (5T32PE11001-13). Dr. McCarthy is the recipient of a First Independent Research and Transition Award from the National Cancer Institute (R29CA79052). Dr. Phillips is supported by a Mid-Career Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health (K24 AT00589-01A1).

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Sabatino, S.A., Burns, R.B., Davis, R.B. et al. Breat cancer risk and provider recommendation for mammography among recently unscreened women in the United States. J Gen Intern Med 21, 285–291 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00348.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00348.x

Key words

  • breast cancer risk
  • provider recommendation
  • mammography