Breast screening programme deemed a success
Preliminary results of a study on the acceptance of the German mammography screening programme indicate that women support current efforts to detect breast cancer early.
90% of screening participants said they will also accept future invitations for a scan.
For the study, initiated by the Women’s Health Coalition and a self-help group for women who have had cancer, 9,004 randomly chosen women aged between 50 and 69 years were interviewed and some also responded to questionnaires.
Results: 94% think mammography screening increases the likelihood of healing breast cancer due to early detection. 88% of women who, though invited, decided against being screened share that opinion. 81% in the screening programme and 66% of non-participants consider the benefits of screening outweigh the risks from radiation exposure. Respectively, 88% and 70% said an invitation that offers a date and time for screening helped participation.
The study also found knowledge gaps: ‘Almost two thirds of the women did not know that the breast cancer risk increases with age. We will therefore intensify our information campaign,’ said Irmgard Nass-Griegoleit, president of the Women’s Health Coalition.
Women’s health reports: Pages 7–8
01.07.2009
