Decrease In Breast Cancer Mortality Research Articles

Age‑integrated breast imaging reporting and data system assessment model to improve the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis.

Early diagnosis is an effective strategy for decreasing breast cancer mortality. Ultrasonography is one of the most predominant imaging modalities for breast cancer owing to its convenience and non-invasiveness. The present study aimed to develop a model that integrates age with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon to improve diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in breast cancer. This retrospective study comprised two cohorts: A training cohort with 975 female patients from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) and a validation cohort with 500 female patients from Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province (Wuhan, China). Logistic regression was used to construct a model combining BI-RADS score with age and to determine the age-based prevalence of breast cancer to predict a cut-off age. The model that integrated age with BI-RADS scores demonstrated the best performance compared with models based solely on age or BI-RADS scores, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.872 (95% CI: 0.850-0.894, P<0.001). Furthermore, among participants aged <30 years, the prevalence of breast cancer was lower than the lower limit of the reference range (2%) for BI-RADS subcategory 4A lesions but within the reference range for BI-RADS category 3 lesions, as indicated by linear regression analysis. Therefore, it is recommended that management for this subset of participants are categorized as BI-RADS category 3, meaning that biopsies typically indicated could be replaced with short-term follow-up. In conclusion, the integrated assessment model based on age and BI-RADS may enhance accuracy of ultrasonography in diagnosing breast lesions and young patients with BI-RADS subcategory 4A lesions may be exempted from biopsy.

A prospective study to assess the quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients and factors affecting quality of life

IntroductionBreast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women globally, with an incidence rate of 11.7 %, surpassing lung cancer as the most frequently diagnosed cancer. In India, incidence rates begin to increase in the early thirties, peaking between the ages of 50 and 64. Historically, the female population has harbored significant fear towards this particular cancer due to the social stigma associated with the diagnosis. It not only poses a challenge to their self-image but also affects their sexual function, consequently having a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Recent advancements in treatment delivery techniques have decreased breast cancer mortality and enhanced disease-free survival rates. However, ensuring a good quality of life (QOL) remains a challenge. This study was conducted to assess the QOL of breast cancer patients and the factors influencing it. MaterialsPatients with histopathological proven malignancy of breast carcinoma aged above 18 years who were registered in our radiotherapy department were included in this cross-sectional study. Patient related, disease related and treatment related parameters were noted. QOL survey instruments used were EORTC-QLQ-C30 version 3.0, EORTC-QLQ-BR23. ResultsA total of 160 patients registered in our department from November 2019 to November 2022 were included in this study. The young breast (<45 years) cancer patients showed comparable QOL scores with older patients on most symptomatic and functional scales. The patients with an advanced disease had lowest scores on all functional scales but was not statistically significant. Breast conserving surgery (BCS) correlated very well with better functioning scores in our study though it did not achieve statistical significance. Patients undergoing BCS seemed more confident about their future prospectives and had better sexual enjoyment score. People living in urban area scored higher in both scales. ConclusionThis study indicates that QOL of breast cancer patients is closely linked to clinical and sociodemographic factors. Providing financial and psychological support to patients diagnosed with breast cancer may further enhance their QOL.

Rapid survey assessment: Barriers and facilitators to mammogram completion in English and Spanish-speaking patients in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) setting.

1587 Background: Mammography has decreased breast cancer mortality in the US by 40% since the 1980s; yet disparities in screening and outcomes persist in underserved populations. Many studies note language as a barrier to screening with lower mammogram completion amongst Spanish-speaking patients versus those with English language proficiency. At our health center, Spanish-speaking patients were more likely to complete screening mammography compared to patients with English proficiency (53% vs 31% in 2022). To understand this pattern and barriers and facilitators to breast cancer screening, we conducted a mixed methods rapid assessment survey as part of a quality improvement initiative. Methods: We developed a patient bilingual survey measuring knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about breast cancer prevention and screening. We identified consecutive female patients (age 40-75 years) and extracted baseline demographic data from the electronic medical record. Surveys were distributed via our health center’s patient messaging service and responses stored on a secure platform. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-squared testing between groups and qualitative analysis to identify common themes from free-text answers. Results: The overall response rate was 14% (N=732/5,332) in 30 days. Of the surveys completed, 37% were in Spanish. Spanish-speaking patients more strongly regarded mammography as safe and effective compared to English-speaking patients (p&lt;0.001). Spanish-speaking patients were more likely to view getting a mammogram as a priority (79% vs 65% p&lt;0.001) and noted speaking about breast cancer prevention in their communities more often (p&lt;0.006) as an important factor. Spanish-speaking patients primarily cited cost, scheduling, and language (p&lt;0.05) as barriers to mammogram completion, while English-speaking patients cited time constraints, transportation, and discomfort (p&lt;0.05) more frequently. Spanish-speaking patients were more likely to prefer speaking with a trusted community member or attending health fairs than English-speaking patients (P&lt;0.05). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates differences in attitudes, behaviors, and perceived barriers to mammography in English vs Spanish-speaking patients. The increased mammogram completion rate in Spanish-speaking patients may reflect more positive attitudes about screening and more discussion in the community amongst Spanish-speaking patients queried. Reported barriers to screening differed and will guide targeted QI interventions. We demonstrated feasibility and patient engagement in a diverse population using a message system built into our EHR in an FQHC setting. This survey study allows us to elevate patient voices, better understand gaps and preferences, and better tailor future interventions for cancer screening.

A novel preclinical model of the normal human breast

Improved screening and treatment have decreased breast cancer mortality, although incidence continues to rise. Women at increased risk of breast cancer can be offered risk reducing treatments, such as tamoxifen, but this has not been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality. New, more efficacious, risk-reducing agents are needed. The identification of novel candidates for prevention is hampered by a lack of good preclinical models. Current patient derived in vitro and in vivo models cannot fully recapitulate the complexities of the human tissue, lacking human extracellular matrix, stroma, and immune cells, all of which are known to influence therapy response. Here we describe a normal breast explant model utilising a tuneable hydrogel which maintains epithelial proliferation, hormone receptor expression, and residency of T cells and macrophages over 7 days. Unlike other organotypic tissue cultures which are often limited by hyper-proliferation, loss of hormone signalling, and short treatment windows (< 48h), our model shows that tissue remains viable over 7 days with none of these early changes. This offers a powerful and unique opportunity to model the normal breast and study changes in response to various risk factors, such as breast density and hormone exposure. Further validation of the model, using samples from patients undergoing preventive therapies, will hopefully confirm this to be a valuable tool, allowing us to test novel agents for breast cancer risk reduction preclinically.

Treatment &amp; Screening Significantly Decrease Breast Cancer Mortality

Treatment &amp; Screening Significantly Decrease Breast Cancer Mortality

Mammography screening beliefs and barriers through the lens of Black women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mammography is an effective screening tool that leads to decreased breast cancer mortality, yet minority women continue to experience barriers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been proven to have negatively affected minority communities, yet its effect on mammography screening habits in Black women is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate breast cancer mammography screening habits and barriers for Black women in two northeast communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The study participants were Black women aged 40years or older who were recruited from community outreach initiatives. Study coordinators conducted telephone surveys to determine mammography screening behaviors, perceptions, and psychosocial factors. Two hundred seventy-seven surveys were completed. Two hundred fifty-six patients who reported ever having a mammogram became the study population of interest. One hundred seventy-four of these patients (68%) reported having a mammogram within the past year (nondelayed), and 82 (32%) had a mammogram more than a year ago (delayed). Only thirty-one of the delayed participants (37.8%) had private insurance. There was a significant difference in the mean score for mammography screening perceived barriers for nondelayed participants (mean=9.9, standard deviation [SD]=3.6) versus delayed participants (mean=11.2, SD=4.3, p=.03). There was also a significant difference in the mean score when they were asked, "How likely is it that 'other health problems would keep you from having a mammogram'?" (p=.002). Barriers to mammography screening for Black women during the COVID-19 era include insurance, competing health issues, and perceptions of screening. Community outreach efforts should concentrate on building trust and collaborating with organizations to improve screening despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Application of Artificial Intelligence in Detecting Breast Lesions with Medical Imaging: A Literature Review

Breast cancer is considered the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Several studies have shown that mammography screening could significantly decrease breast cancer mortality. Despite other screening modalities, such as MRI and ultrasound (US), mammography plays a vital role in detecting cancer and following up on it, due to its qualities and properties. The aim of this literature review is to look at recent studies that use AI with different medical imaging mammograms, MRI, and US, in detecting breast lesions. A literature search was carried out using Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, medRxiv, and PubMed databases for a period of the last four years. The search terms were "breast lesion," "breast imaging," and "breast cancer" combined with "machine learning," "deep learning," and "artificial intelligence." Among these studies, only the medical imaging related to breast lesions with AI was selected. A total of 25 articles were extracted from the following databases: 4 Google Scholar, 3 Semantic Scholar, 4 medRxiv, and 14 PubMed. Only papers related to breast lesions with medical imaging modalities were extracted, and all duplications were removed. In this study, the papers were reviewed by medical imaging professionals. This literature review summarizes the most recent articles on utilizing AI in detecting breast lesions for different imaging modalities: mammogram, ultrasound, and MRI. Reviewed studies showed that AI performance in detecting lesions was significant, associated with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for these modalities.

Comprehending the impact of #Breastcancer, #Breastsurgery and related hashtags on Twitter: A content and social network cross-sectional analysis #Breastcancer#Breastsurgery

BackgroundEarly detection along with improved locoregional and systemic therapies have decreased breast cancer mortality and allowed for the clinical implementation of breast conserving surgical options, in turn reducing the clinical and psychosocial impact of mastectomy. To what extend this has been successfully conveyed through social media for breast cancer awareness, has not been previously investigated. MethodsThis study presents a content and social network cross-sectional descriptive study of Twitter and Google trends data worldwide from platform launch (2006 and 2004 respectively) until May 15th, 2022, in agreement with the STROBE guidelines. Tweets associated with the hashtags #Breastcancer, #Breastsurgery, #Oncoplasticsurgery, #Mastectomy, #Breastreconstruction, #Breastconservingsurgery were licensed and downloaded through the Vincitas and Tweetbinder online platforms. Associated available demographics, namely username, biography, location, date and language of post, were extracted from the Twitter dataset while interest percentage, location and language of search were extracted from the Google trends dataset. ResultsA total of 390111 unique tweets were generated by 127284 unique users, with 2 users engaging with all six hashtags. Original tweets constituted on average 39.1% [Min 30.7% to max 47.2%] of the total. Hashtag frequency increased on Twitter for all six searches during October, the breast-cancer awareness month, but not on Google trends. Cancer survivors engaged much more often with the hashtag #Breastcancer and #Mastectomy, whereas #Breastsurgery, #Oncoplasticsurgery, #Breastconservingsurgery, #Breastreconstruction were mostly used by health professionals. ConclusionIn this large qualitative and quantitative dataset, geo-temporal oscillations on Twitter and Google trends for hashtags relevant with breast cancer provide preliminary insights on information flow and user engagement. Understanding the effective use of social media platforms may provide the niche for disseminating evidence and promoting education on the surgical options of patients with breast cancer.

Outcome of Screening Mammography for Women Attending Primary Healthcare Centers: One-Year Review

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women globally and in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Studies have shown that screening mammography is an effective way to identify early stages of breast cancer in women and has decreased breast cancer mortality. Therefore, determining the outcome of breast cancer screening is essential for proper assessment and improvement of the screening program. Objective: This study aims to assess the outcome of breast cancer screening by mammography for women attending Primary Healthcare Centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of women who had screening mammograms in primary healthcare centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain for one year. The study included 2438 women aged 40 years and older. Data were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: The most prevalent breast density level was scattered fibroglandular density (55.3%), while extremely dense breasts (5.3%) were the least common. The study showed that 68.3% of the reports were normal, while 31.7% of women were recalled for further imaging. The most common reasons for recalls were nodules/lumps in 34.2%. Additional imaging was done for 69.4% of the cases, while 30.6% of women missed follow-up appointments. Of the patients needing biopsies, the procedure was performed for 62.5% of the women; of these, there were histologically confirmed malignancies in 31.6%. Conclusion: The breast cancer detection rate in this study is 0.5%. A recall rate of about 32% is higher than in other studies. This study also shows a high percentage of women who didn’t follow up for the additional images and procedures requested by radiologists, which needs further studies to identify the reasons. Educating women on the importance of compliance with the additionally requested workups and close monitoring and follow-up of the screened women by health facilities are crucial for the success of the breast screening program.

Reducing Disparities in Timely Follow-Up After Abnormal Findings on Screening Mammography.

Screening mammography has led to increased detection of early-stage breast cancer and has contributed to decreased breast cancer mortality [1]. However, these benefits of early detection are diminished when patients do not have timely diagnosis and treatment [2]. To facilitate timely treatment of screen-detected breast cancers, it is important to minimize delays to diagnostic imaging after an abnormal screening mammographic result.

Prevalence of Breast Cancer Survivors Among Canadian Women

The 49% decrease in breast cancer mortality since 1986 has increased the number of breast cancer survivors requiring survivorship care. The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the 2022 prevalence of breast cancer survivors diagnosed within the past 15 years among Canadian women. We extracted the projected female breast cancer cases from 2007 to 2021 and rates of net survival (competing noncancer causes of death removed) from the Canadian Cancer Society's statistical reports. Overall survival was extracted from published Ontario data. Using known survival rates for 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, we interpolated remaining years and applied the corresponding net and overall survival rates to the projected cases for each year from 2007 to 2021 to determine survivors in 2022. Prevalence for predefined age groups was also calculated. As an example of excess healthcare costs attributable to breast cancer, we calculated the excess costs of heart failure hospitalizations. From 2007 to 2021, there were 370,756 breast cancer cases. Using net survival, 318,429 (85.9%) of these patients were projected to survive breast cancer by 2022, a prevalence of 2.1% of Canadian women. Using overall survival, prevalence was 1.8%. Prevalence increased with age group, from 0.01% of those aged 20 to 24 years to 12.7% of those aged ≥90 years, and from 1.0% among the working and/or child-raising (age 20-64 years) to 5.4% among elderly populations (age ≥65 years). Among these survivors, 24.9% of projected heart failure hospitalizations would be in excess of those among matched control subjects, with projected excess costs of $16.5 million CAD. Given the excess healthcare costs, potential for reduced contributions to the workforce, and reduced quality of life associated with long-term impairments and risk of excess non-breast cancer death, enhanced breast cancer survivorship care is warranted. With an overall prevalence of 2% among Canadian women, breast cancer survivors represent an increasing segment of the working-age and elderly populations.

Change in effectiveness of mammography screening with decreasing breast cancer mortality: a population-based study.

BackgroundReductions in breast cancer mortality observed over the last three decades are partly due to improved patient management, which may erode the benefit-harm balance of mammography screening.MethodsWe estimated the numbers of women needed to invite (NNI) to prevent one breast cancer death within 10 years. Four scenarios of screening effectiveness (5–20% mortality reduction) were applied on 10,580 breast cancer deaths among Norwegian women aged 50–75 years from 1986 to 2016. We used three scenarios of overdiagnosis (10–40% excess breast cancers during screening period) for estimating ratios of numbers of overdiagnosed breast cancers for each breast cancer death prevented.ResultsUnder the base case scenario of 20% breast cancer mortality reduction and 20% overdiagnosis, the NNI rose from 731 (95% CI: 644–830) women in 1996 to 1364 (95% CI: 1181–1577) women in 2016, while the number of women with overdiagnosed cancer for each breast cancer death prevented rose from 3.2 in 1996 to 5.4 in 2016. For a mortality reduction of 8.7%, the ratio of overdiagnosed breast cancers per breast cancer death prevented rose from 7.4 in 1996 to 14.0 in 2016. For a mortality reduction of 5%, the ratio rose from 12.8 in 1996 to 25.2 in 2016.ConclusionsDue to increasingly potent therapeutic modalities, the benefit in terms of reduced breast cancer mortality declines while the harms, including overdiagnosis, are unaffected. Future improvements in breast cancer patient management will further deteriorate the benefit–harm ratio of screening.

Abstract 3672: Area-level drivers of the breast cancer mortality race disparity in Georgia

Abstract In the US, breast cancer mortality is 40% greater among Black than White women. The mortality disparity varies geographically and has persisted despite improvements in survival. Georgia is one of six states where breast cancer recently surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among Black but not White women, is a large and diverse state, and thus, an ideal setting to study race disparities. Our work in the Atlanta Metro area has shown that the mortality disparity is pronounced among patients with clinically favorable subtypes, low Oncotype DX® recurrence scores, guideline-concordant care, and similar access to surgical facilities. The disparity also persists among patients with private insurance and those living in areas of low poverty, suggesting clinical and sociodemographic differences do not fully account for the observed disparity. Recent evidence suggests area-level factors may contribute to the disparity. Our group reported that neighborhood-level redlining (i.e., mortgage denial based on place) is associated with an increase in breast cancer mortality while neighborhood-level lending bias (i.e., mortgage denial based on race) is associated with a decrease in breast cancer mortality. In Atlanta, Black patients are more likely to live in redlined areas and less likely to live in areas with lending bias, than White patients, further suggesting place is an important driver of disparities. We investigated the role of other area-level factors on race-specific mortality in Georgia. Race-specific standardized mortality ratios were computed for each county in Georgia. Observed breast cancer deaths among non-Hispanic White (NHW) and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women within 5 years of a stage I-III breast cancer diagnosis (2005-2013) were obtained from the Georgia Cancer Registry. County-level characteristics were derived from the American Community Survey and Georgia Department of Public Health. A Bayesian model-based approach was used to stabilize local estimates and estimate associations with area-level factors. Smoothed estimates of relative disparity ranged from 1.2 to 1.7, with pronounced disparity for counties surrounding the Atlanta and Savannah metropolitan areas and least pronounced disparity in Metro Albany counties. Among NHB women, living in a rural (versus non-rural) county was associated with a nearly 20% increase in breast cancer mortality (RR=1.19, 95% credible interval (CI): 0.96, 1.48); an association not observed in NHW patients (RR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.79, 1.07). In contrast, a 10-point increase in the percent of adults with ≤high school education was associated with a 10% increase (95% CI: 1.05, 1.17) in mortality for NHW patients only. The race disparity in Georgia is not evenly distributed across counties. We identified area-level characteristics associated with race-specific mortality. Identifying other area-level drivers of breast cancer mortality is an important area of inquiry. Citation Format: Rebecca Nash, Lindsay J. Collin, Jeffrey Switchenko, Lauren E. McCullough. Area-level drivers of the breast cancer mortality race disparity in Georgia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3672.

Abstract 5868: Factors associated with exercise participation in patients with breast cancer

Abstract BACKGROUND: The American Cancer Society recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous exercise and muscle-strengthening activities each week for adults. Exercise has been associated with decreased breast cancer mortality and adverse symptoms. This study’s purpose is to understand prevalence and predictors of inadequate aerobic exercise in patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer to inform interventions to increase exercise participation. METHODS: Patients seen at least once at Mayo Clinic Rochester were prospectively enrolled within one year of an initial breast cancer diagnosis in the Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry after providing informed consent. This analysis includes those who completed a baseline survey with self-reported exercise data using the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. This longitudinal cohort study was approved by the Mayo Clinic institutional review board. RESULTS: 1,738 participants reported their usual weekly quantity of moderate and strenuous exercise an average of 95 days (SD 71 days, range 0-365) after diagnosis. Table 1 displays participant characteristics overall and by whether participants reported at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous activity weekly (“met guidelines”) or not (“did not meet guidelines”). Overall, 39% of participants met guidelines, including 56% of those aged 18-39 years, 40% of those aged 40-69 years, and 27% of those aged 70+ years. CONCLUSION: Older age was associated with less likelihood of meeting exercise guidelines (all age groups vs 70+, p &amp;lt; 0.05). A more diverse cohort will be needed to evaluate differences by gender and race/ethnicity. There did not appear to be any obvious impact on exercise level by time since diagnosis (during the first year after diagnosis) or educational status, though substantial missing data limit conclusions related to the latter. Additional research is needed to assess exercise levels later in survivorship and the impact of various treatment modalities on exercise habits Table 1. Patient and tumor characteristics Citation Format: Paulina S. Marell, Janet E. Olson, Joerg Herrmann, Nicole L. Larson, Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Stacy D. D'Andre, Andrea L. Cheville, Toure Barksdale, Charles L. Loprinzi, Fergus J. Couch, Kathryn J. Ruddy. Factors associated with exercise participation in patients with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5868.

Statin use and incidence and mortality of breast and gynecology cancer: A cohort study using the National Health Insurance claims database.

Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings concerning the impact of statin use on cancer prevention. Our study examined the association between statin use and cancer incidence and mortality related to breast and gynecologic cancers in South Korea. A population-based cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance claims database. Women aged 45 to 70 years old who had taken statins for at least 6 months were compared to statin non-users of the same age from January 2005 to June 2013. The primary outcomes were cancer incidence and mortality related to breast cancer, total gynecologic cancers, cervix uteri cancer and ovarian cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Out of 587 705 women, there were 3591 cases of breast cancer, 2239 cases of gynecologic cancers and 565 breast and total gynecologic cancer deaths during 7.6 person-years. The aHRs for the association between the risk of each cancer and statin use were 0.88 (95% CI 0.79-0.97) for breast cancer and 0.83 (95% CI 0.67-0.99) for cervix uteri cancer. Statin use was associated with decreased breast cancer mortality (HR=0.65, 95% CI 0.43-0.99) and total gynecologic cancer mortality (HR=0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.98). A dose-response relationship was only found for all-cancer mortality. Statin use for at least 6 months was significantly associated with a lower risk of breast and cervix uteri cancer incidence, and with lower mortality of breast and gynecologic cancers. Further research on these associations will be needed.

Non-Participation in Breast Cancer Screening in Spain and Potential Application in the Present and Future: A Cross Sectional Study.

Simple SummaryBreast cancer screening programmes have the aim of reducing breast cancer mortality. This article is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study of 2507 women who were invited to participate in the Breast Cancer Prevention Programme in Extremadura (Spain) and did not attend their appointment. We analysed the different reasons why women do not participate in the Breast Cancer Early Detection Programme in Extremadura (Spain) and discuss the results offering possible tools to improve the screening programs. Women who did not participate in the breast cancer screening programme in Extremadura had low educational levels and were older women.Background: Currently, we are beginning to observe a stabilisation and even a decrease in breast cancer mortality in the world, which may be related, among other reasons, to breast cancer screening. Methods: The objective of this study was to analyse the different reasons why women do not participate in the Breast Cancer Early Detection Programme in Extremadura (Spain) and to discuss the results, offering possible tools to improve the screening programs. This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study. A questionnaire with 14 questions was carried out by telephone or mail. Results: A total of 3970 questionnaires were collected. However, only 2507 were valid. A total of 70.36% of young and educated women underwent mammographic controls. The type of women who did not attend the screening programme appointment corresponded to a woman of approximately 60 years of age, with no formal studies, married, with children, who does not work outside their home and who lived in the health area of Badajoz. Among the main reasons for not going to the appointment, 53.9% of the women surveyed indicated that they had check-ups with their gynaecologist, and this specialist referred them for a mammograph. These women were younger and have a higher level of education. Women with a lower educational level and older women did not have any mammography done and did not undergo screening. They indicated that they did not go to the appointment because they were afraid of having a mammography (44%) or because they did not receive the appointment in time (31.6%). A total of 26.9% of the women who did not attend the appointment for other reasons stated that they had problems in attending because they had a physical limitation (dependency). Conclusions: Women who did not participate in the breast cancer screening programme in Extremadura had low educational levels and were older women. Specifically, fear of having a mammogram was the main argument raised by these women. In addition, a small group stated that they did not consider mammography to be useful. At present and in the future, good quality screening programs must be carried out to contribute to the reduction in breast cancer mortality. Furthermore, enhancing the participation of women is essential to increase the attendance rate and, therefore, the success of the screening programmes.

Breast Cancer Mortality in the Americas and Australasia over the Period 1980-2017 with Predictions for 2025.

Simple SummaryGlobally, breast cancer is the most common neoplasm and the leading cause of cancer death in women. It is also the common cancer for which the largest advancements have been made in terms of screening, early diagnosis, management and treatment over the last decades. These advances have had an impact on breast cancer mortality, which therefore depends on many aspects, including countries income and the health care system, leading to inequalities across the world. Breast cancer mortality has been substantially decreasing in high income countries of North America and Australia, but trends have been less consistent in Latin America and Asia, indicating the scope for further global advancemets in screening and management of breast cancer.Substantial progress has been made in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of breast cancer over the last decades. This has affected mortality rates but has also led to inequality in epidemiological trends between different regions of the world. We extracted death certification data for breast cancer from the World Health Organization database. We analyzed trends in breast cancer mortality in selected countries from America, Asia, and Oceania over the 1980–2017 period and predicted numbers of deaths and rates for 2025. In North America, we observed decreased breast cancer mortality, reaching a rate of about 13/100,000 women in 2017. In Latin American countries, breast cancer mortality rates did not consistently decrease. The highest decreases in mortality were observed in Australia. Mortality trends in Asian countries remained among the lowest globally. We have predicted decreased mortality from breast cancer in 2025 for most of the analyzed countries. The epidemiological situation regarding breast cancer mortality is expected to change in the coming years. Advancements in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer must be extended in various areas of the world to obtain global control of breast cancer mortality.

Postmastectomy radiation therapy and survival outcome in older patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer

BackgroundThe prognostic impact of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) on contemporary older patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer is unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of PMRT in this setting. MethodsLeveraging the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program data from 2004 to 2015, 7052 patients aged 70 years or older with T1-2N1 breast cancer were identified for this propensity-matched analysis. Fine and Gray competing risks regression was conducted to explore the correlation between PMRT and breast cancer-specific survival, in subgroups defined by tumor size and positive lymph nodes. ResultsThe median follow-up was 60.1 months (interquartile range, 28.0 to 87.0). Among propensity-matched patients, multivariate analysis identified an association between PMRT and decreased breast cancer mortality (BCM; HR 0.637; 95 % CI 0.436–0.931; P = 0.020) in patient subset with three positive nodes and tumors 2–5 cm in size, and this benefit was limited to patients with three positive nodes and tumors 2–5 cm in size who did not receive chemotherapy. In patient subsets who received chemotherapy, no association between PMRT and BCM was found. ConclusionPMRT was not associated with BCM in older patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer who received chemotherapy. The benefit of PMRT was limited to those with three positive nodes and tumors 2–5 cm in size who did not receive chemotherapy.

European trends in breast cancer mortality, 1980–2017 and predictions to 2025

BackgroundBreast cancer mortality in European women has been falling for three decades. We analysed trends in mortality from breast cancer in Europe over the period 1980–2017 and predicted number of deaths and rates to 2025. MethodsWe extracted death certification data for breast cancer in women for 35 European countries, between 1980 and 2017, from the World Health Organisation database. We computed the age-standardised (world standard population) mortality rates per 100,000 person-years, by country and calendar year. We obtained also predictions for 2025 using a joinpoint regression model and calculated the number of avoided deaths over the period 1994–2025. ResultsThe mortality rate declined from 15.0 in 2012 to 14.4 in 2017 per 100,000 women (−3.9%) for the European Union (EU)-27. This fall was greater in the EU-14 (−5.2%), whereas rates rose in the transitional countries during this period by 1.9%. Mortality rate predictions across Europe are expected to reach relatively uniform levels in 2025. During the studied period, favourable trends in mortality emerged in most countries, with the greatest decrease in Denmark, whereas Poland and Romania showed an upward trend. The largest predicted decrease in breast cancer mortality was estimated for the United Kingdom (12.2/100,000 women in 2025), leading to the estimated avoidance of 150,000 breast cancer deaths over the period 1994–2025 and 470,000 in the EU-27. ConclusionsFavourable trends in breast cancer mortality were observed in most European countries, and they will continue to fall in the coming years. Less favourable patterns were still observed among the transitional countries than other European areas.

Neighborhood area-level social determinants and receipt of mammography screening in an area with high deprivation: A retrospective cohort study.

e18550 Background: Early detection through screening mammography has been shown to decrease breast cancer mortality. Screening mammography rates remains low among racial/ethnic minorities and patients with socioeconomic deprivation (SED). Most studies evaluating the role of area-level social determinants of health and breast cancer screening have included only a small number of variables; in this study, a comprehensive and granular measure of socioeconomic deprivation (SED) which included 17 variables was used to determine an association with screening mammogram completion. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic hospital system between 2014-2020 to identify asymptomatic female patients who received screening mammogram referrals in their primary care clinic after they were deemed eligible per screening guidelines. Patients were assessed for mammogram completion at their annual visits. SED was evaluated using the area deprivation index (ADI), a measure of 17 variables including education, housing, and income at the census block group level. Other covariates analyzed were insurance status, age, and race. Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and a multivariate logistic regression model were used for statistical analysis. Results: 856 women were referred for screening mammography. 324 (38%) underwent mammogram. Patients with high, moderate, and low SED comprised 69 (8%), 287 (34%) and 500 (58%) of the cohort, respectively. In multivariable analysis, SED and race were not associated with higher screening rates. Uninsured and self-pay patients had the lowest odds of screening mammography completion (AOR 0.22; 95% 0.08, 0.60) and Medicare patients had decreased odds of mammogram completion relative to privately insured patients (AOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.43, 0.97). Older age was associated with a slightly higher odds of mammography completion (AOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00, 1.04). Conclusions: The receipt of screening mammography was low among all patients relative to previously published rates. Uninsured/self-pay status was the strongest indicator for completion of mammography. Additional research is needed to understand the barriers that may influence mammography completion in this population with high socioeconomic deprivation. Multivariate Logistic Regression Estimates for Associations Between Mammogram Completion and SED category.[Table: see text]