Predictors and Trend in Attendance for Breast Cancer Screening in Lithuania, 2006-2014.

Janina Petkeviciene,Vilma Kriaucioniene

doi:10.3390/ijerph16224535

Janina Petkeviciene, Vilma Kriaucioniene

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224535

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Abstract

In Lithuania, a Nationwide Breast Cancer (BC) Screening Program was launched in 2005, offering mammography for women aged 50 to 69 years, every other year. This study aimed to determine the trend in the attendance for mammography screening during 2006–2014 and to identify the factors that are predictive for participation in it. The study sample consisted of 1941 women aged 50–64 years, who participated in five cross-sectional biennial postal surveys of Lithuanian Health Behavior Monitoring, carried out in independent national random samples. The attendance for screening was identified if women reported having had a mammogram within the last two years. The proportion of women attending the screening was continuously increasing from 20.0% in 2006 up to 65.8% in 2014. The attendance for BC screening was associated with the participation in cervical cancer screening. A higher level of education, living in a city, frequent contact with a doctor, and healthy behaviors (fresh-vegetable consumption, physical activity, and absence of alcohol abuse) were associated with higher participation rates in BC screening. To increase BC screening uptake and to reduce inequalities in attendance, new strategies of organized BC screening program using systematic personal invitations are required in Lithuania.

Highlights

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed female cancer around the world, accounting for almost one in four cancer cases in women [1]
The attendance for BC screening was associated with the participation in cervical cancer screening
This study aimed to assess the trend in the attendance for mammography screening in Lithuania during 2006–2014 and to identify the sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-care service use factors that are predictive for participation in BC screening

Summary

Introduction

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed female cancer around the world, accounting for almost one in four cancer cases in women [1]. In Lithuania, the estimated incidence rate was below the European average (80.6 vs 100.9 per 100,000 women), while the mortality rate was higher than the European average (22.7 vs 21.8 per 100,000 women), suggesting unfavorable survival [2]. Many studies have shown that well-organized cancer screening could be effective in reducing. When estimating the decline in BC mortality attributable to screening, it is very important to distinguish the screening effect from other effects, such as improvement in treatment or reduced use of hormone replacement therapy. According to the recent studies carried out in Norway, Denmark, and Ireland, mammography screening was associated with an additional benefit in reducing

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