Fewer U.S. Women Getting mammograms; Experts worried

After rising for decades, the proportion of U.S. women getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer has dropped for the first time, reports the Washington Post. The drop was greatest among middle age women between 50 to 64.

The reasons remain unclear, but researchers speculated that it could be due to factors such as increasingly long waiting times to get appointments, waning fears about breast cancer, the drop in hormone use after menopause, and the ongoing debate over the benefits and risks of the exams.

Regardless of the cause, the trend is worrying breast cancer experts. They credit mammograms with playing a crucial role in reducing the death toll from breast cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer and cancer death among U.S. women.

Breast cancer strikes more than 200,000 women each year and kills more than 40,000. Thanks in part to early diagnosis from tools like the mammograms, the odds of surviving have been rising. It's possible that these increasingly survival rates have lead to women becoming complacent about the tests.

In addition to better diagnosis, progress continues to be made in determining lifestyle activities that affect risk profiles. A recent study at the University of South Carolina just reported that postmenopausal women barbecue lovers may have higher breast cancer risk. Specifically that:

"...postmenopausal women who consumed the most grilled, barbecued or smoked red meat over their lifetime have a 47 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Big meat-eaters who also skimped on fruit and vegetables had a 74 percent increased risk of the disease.

It should be noted that while the study found a close association between the the two this doesn't mean that the cooked means caused the breast cancer. Other related factors could be at work including high fat content in the diet of women who consume these types of meat products. However this adds further evidence to the already existing dietary guidelines for cancer prevention that call for people to eat more plant-based foods and limit processed or red meat consumption.

In short, women should continue to be vigilant about mammograms and continue to follow dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. The fact that survival rates have been increasing is evidence that these are working and not that they no longer matter as much.

External tags: breast cancer