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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: spread the word about the importance of mammograms

breast cancer awareness National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is just around the corner. NBCAM will celebrate its 34 th anniversary this October. The campaign is dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their breast health by scheduling regular visits with their healthcare provider, receiving annual mammograms, adhering to prescribed treatment, and knowing the facts about recurrence.

Take advantage of this opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of detecting breast cancer early. You can make a difference by spreading the word about mammograms, and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved. Download the NBCAM Toolkit for ideas to help you take action today.
video provides
overview of current mammogram guidelines

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 252,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2018. 

With that is mind, Quality Insights developed a fact-filled 13-minute video, hosted by Dr. Edward Sobel, to provide an overview of current breast cancer screening guidelines and recommendations to ensure that your clinician team stays up-to-date on the important topic of mammograms. 

don't forget: national mammography day is october 19, 2018

First proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993, the third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day. On this day, and throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment. This year, National Mammography Day will be celebrated on October 19.

Want to share the power of prevention? Remind your patients and staff to set up mammogram appointments and use  #NationalMammographyDay to post on social media.

Mammograms save lives
breast cancer Screening Guidelines simplified

mammography Did you know that 252,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women this year? It is important to diagnosis breast cancer early, when it is most treatable.

There are many screening guidelines for breast cancer screening and evidence shows that various factors such as age, breast density, hormone replacement therapy, ethnicity, and others can affect the age at initiation of screenings and the duration between screenings. The American Cancer Society updated their recommendations in 2015 for woman at average risk based on evidence. Nevertheless, systematic reviews show that regular screening with mammography in women 40 years or older at average risk of breast cancer reduces breast cancer mortality over at least 13 years of follow-up. 
 
Looking for a comparison of the guidelines as a reference? Check out the CDC guideline reference and these slides for details on breast and other cancer screening.

The Delaware Cancer Consortium, a multi-functional team including medical professionals, recommends following these simple guidelines:
  • Annual Clinical Breast Exam - Age 18 +
  • Annual Mammogram - Age 40+
learn more about the Real Men Wear Pink program

real men wear pink Men play a critical role in breast cancer awareness as providers, advocates, caregivers, and patients.  Real Men Wear Pink gives men a leadership role in the fight against breast cancer. Community leaders around the nation use the power of pink to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society's breast cancer initiatives, including innovative research, patient services, and education around screenings and risk reduction. It is one important way we're attacking cancer from every angle.
take advantage of free online breast cancer education 

The Breast Cancer Education Association (B CEA) offers ongoing free webinars on a variety of breast cancer topics. 

Click here to listen to previously recorded webinars and to view upcoming webinars.
get the facts about Breast Cancer rates in delaware

cancer cell icon Cancer screening and early detection efforts continue to drive down Delaware's all-site cancer mortality rates, say Delaware public health officials. From 2000-2004 to 2010-2014, Delaware's cancer death rate decreased 12%, an impressive improvement though slightly lower than the decline seen nationally (14%), according to the latest cancer data announced by the Delaware Division of Public Health (DE DPH).
 
The DE DPH released the "Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Delaware, 2010-2014" report in July 2018.  According to the report:
  • Delaware (133.5 per 100,000) had a statistically significantly higher female breast cancer incidence rate compared to the U.S. (124.9 per 100,000).
  • From 2000-2004 to 2010-2014,incidence rates for female breast cancer increased 7% in Delaware and decreased 5% in the U.S. from 2000-2004 to 2010-2014.
  • Mortality rates for female breast cancer decreased 15% in Delaware and decreased 17% in the U.S.
  • Of Delaware females 40 years of age and older, 78% reported having a mammogram within the previous two years, compared to a national median of 72%. Delaware females ranked third highest nationally for this response.
Screening for Life Program
Breast cancer rates remain high in Delaware and prevention is essential to lowering those numbers.  For patients who are uninsured or underinsured, did you know that the Screening for Life program provides payment for cancer screening tests, including mammograms, for qualified Delawareans? The program is a cooperative effort of the DE DPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So Many Screening Tests - Which should I recommend?

question The American Cancer Society makes it easy for you and your patients to understand how the screenings differ.  3D mammograms, also known as tomosynthesis or "tomo," use the same x-ray technology as regular "2D" mammograms. Studies have been done to compare 2D mammograms to combined or "integrated" 2D and 3D mammograms. The results of the studies showed that the combination of 3D and 2D was more accurate than 2D digital or film mammograms, although the difference in accuracy was tiny for each patient. What is the draw to the patients? Studies show that w omen who undergo screening with combined 2D and 3D mammography are less likely to be called back for more testing due to a suspicious finding that turns out not to be cancer . This means fewer false alarms (fewer false positives) caused by inaccurate findings.

In the STORM study , integrated 2D and 3D mammography improved breast-cancer detection and demonstrated a reduction in false positive recalls. Other studies published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)  and American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR)  show a similar pattern of a reduction in false positive recalls, increased overall cancer detection rate, and increased invasive cancer detection rate. Some of the downsides of the trials include that they are not all prospective. In order to truly understand the benefits of 3D, Randomized controlled trials are needed to compare 3D mammography alone with 2D mammography for breast cancer screening.
contact information

For more details about the Cancer Quality Improvement Project , please contact Sarah Toborowski.

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This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number NU58DP006349-02 from the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.  Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers 
for Disease  Control and Prevention. Publication number DEDPH-CS-091818