Breast Cancer Numbers Are Dropping, But It Is Not Good!

The American Cancer Society recommends all women over the age of 40 get mammograms every one to two years. This recommendation centers on using this health-screening tool to detect possible breast cancer early. Early detection has helped save the lives of millions of women. Reports from a recent study claimed breast cancers numbers were dwindling and doctors and women alike were overjoyed by these findings. However, now it seems the reality is a little less exciting.

Even though the number of women with detected breast cancer has steadily declined over the past five years, the reason for the decline may not be as concrete as originally thought. A second study recording the number of women getting yearly or bi-yearly mammograms showed a 4% decline in testing over the same five-year period. Now scientists and doctors are seeing the connection between the two studies and the outcomes are not inviting.

The steady decline in breast cancer incidence was very confusing to doctors and researchers. Some believed the drop was attributed to more women choosing to remain Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) free while others simply shrugged and claimed it was a mystery. It looks now like those shrugging doctors may have the reason they were searching for to rationalize a 7% decline. Women just are not getting mammograms as often.

"It is concerning and it needs to be watched," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairperson of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, LA. The trend of decline is one that researchers have been watching for quite some time. When Medicare originally reported a decline in mammograms in thirty-three states, the National Cancer Institute decided to look at national data. We the national data was compiled from 1987 to 2005 the results were surprising.