One Way to Boost Mammogram Rates: Let Women Schedule Their Own Appointments

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2023
• Full Page

Allowing women to schedule their own mammography appointments increases the likelihood they'll follow through on the screening, a new study reports.

"Self-scheduling helps make the path to mammogram completion a little smoother, where you don't have to find the time to c...

Can Breast Cancer Survivors Reduce Frequency of Mammograms?

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• December 8, 2023
• Full Page

Under current U.S. guidelines, women over 49 who've survived early-stage breast cancer are directed to undergo a mammogram every year "indefinitely."

But a new British study suggests that, just three years after being declared free of their cancer, these women might be f...

More Evidence That Regular Mammograms Save Lives

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• November 30, 2023
• Full Page

A woman who gets her regular mammograms as scheduled is much less likely to die from breast cancer than if she skips screenings, a new study shows.

Women with breast cancer who underwent all her scheduled mammograms had a survival rate of 80%, compared with survival rate...

Helping Women Find Affordable Housing Also Boosts Cancer Screening

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• November 15, 2023
• Full Page

Chalk up a surprising benefit to government housing assistance.

Breast cancer screening is higher among some low-income women who get government help with housing compared to those who do not, new research shows.

"Receiving housing assistance has been associated wi...

False-Positive Mammogram Result Raises Odds for Breast Cancer Later

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 3, 2023
• Full Page

Women who have a false-positive result on a screening mammogram may have an increased risk of breast cancer for up to 20 years, a large new study finds.

False-positives occur when a screening mammogram seems to show something abnormal that, with follow-up testing, is dec...

Not Just a Lump: Many Women Miss Subtle Signs of Breast Cancer

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 16, 2023
• Full Page

The vast majority of women know a lump in their breast likely signals the presence of cancer, a new survey finds, but that's not the only sign of the disease.

"Screening mammography is our No. 1 defense in detecting and addressing breast cancers at their earliest, most ...

What Every Woman Needs to Know About Breast Cancer Screening

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 8, 2023
• Full Page

Catching breast cancer early is key to making it easier to treat and survive, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The organization aims to highlight early detection, noting that screening with mammography has helped breast cancer death rates drop 43% since 19...

Mammograms: An Expert Overview on Why They're So Important

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 1, 2023
• Full Page

Mammograms have long offered early detection of breast cancer, which is why getting them regularly is crucial to women's health, one expert says.

"There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. As with many other diseases, risk of developing breast cancer...

Most Older Americans Object to Cancer Screening Cutoffs Based on Life Expectancy: Poll

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 29, 2023
• Full Page

While guidelines for cancer screening have begun factoring in life expectancy, a new poll shows a majority of older adults disagree with age cutoff...

AI Equals Human Radiologists at Interpreting Breast Cancer Scans

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• September 5, 2023
• Full Page

Another study is showing that artificial intelligence (AI) is as good as a specialist doctor in spotting breast cancer on a mammogram. But don't expect computers to take over the job from humans, experts say.

In a study that compared the mammography-reading skills of an ...

Most Cancer Screens Won't Extend Lives, But Reasons to Keep Screening Remain

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 28, 2023
• Full Page

While new research suggests cancer screenings are not extending lives for the most part, the study's authors stressed that there are still good reasons why people should continue with screenings.

Their review of clinical trials looked at six kinds of common cancer tests ...

Breast Cancer Screening May Not Be Worth It for Women Over 70

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• August 8, 2023
• Full Page

The risks of screening mammograms to catch breast cancer may outweigh the benefits for certain women aged 70 or older, new research indicates.

The main risk? Overdiagnosis and treatment of a breast cancer that likely wouldn't have caused any symptoms during a woman's lif...

AI-Assisted Mammograms Could Be a Big Advance: Study

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• August 2, 2023
• Full Page

Artificial intelligence (AI) programs can safely be used to help radiologists review mammogram images and detect breast cancers, early results from an ongoing clinical trial show.

A single radiologist aided by AI wound up detecting about 20% more breast cancers from mamm...

New Ultrasound Patch Spots Tiny Breast Abnormalities in Early Trial

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• July 28, 2023
• Full Page

Scientists have developed a wearable ultrasound patch that might eventually allow women to monitor themselves for early signs of breast cancer in the comfort of their home.

The achievement, reported July 28 in the journal Science Advances, is the latest in a br...

Sarah Ferguson Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Mastectomy

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 26, 2023
• Full Page

Sarah Ferguson has undergone treatment for breast cancer, she announced on her podcast.

The Duchess of York, 63, had a mastectomy after the diagnosis and the surgery was successful, her rep confirmed Sunday, People magazine reported.

"The Duchess is rece...

Consistent Breast Cancer Screening Cuts Odds of Dying From the Disease by 72%

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• June 5, 2023
• Full Page

Screening mammograms saves lives, and consistency counts for a lot.

That's the main message from a new study that looked at how regularly women received mammograms before a breast cancer diagnosis. The closer a woman adhered to guidelines on a year-to-year basis, the les...

The Women's Health Screenings and Preventive Care Appointments You Need

• Ann Schreiber HealthDay Reporter
• May 19, 2023
• Full Page

Health screenings and preventive care appointments are a key to maintaining long-term health and well-being. By proactively engaging in these practices, women can identify potential health risks early on and take necessary steps.

This guide will outline the key women's ...

Experts Recommend All Women Get Mammograms Starting at Age 40

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 9, 2023
• Full Page

In a major change from its longstanding advice, an influential medical panel now recommends that women start mammography screening for breast cancer at age 40.

The new guidance, from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, says women at average risk of breast cancer sho...

Radiologists' Group Pushes for Breast Cancer Risk 'Assessment' by Age 25

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 4, 2023
• Full Page

While the typical recommendation is for women to start getting mammograms at age 40, the American College of Radiology has released new guidelines that call for all women to have a breast cancer risk assessment by age 25 to determine if they should start screening mammograms b...

Scientists Spot New Potential Risk Factor for Breast Cancer

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 1, 2023
• Full Page

A new study has uncovered a possible risk factor for breast cancer that could help doctors more accurately weigh a woman's chances of developing the disease.

While it's known that women with dense breast tissue have a greater risk for developing breast cancer and that br...

Many Breast Cancer Survivors May Be Able to Forgo Mammograms in Old Age: Study

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• April 27, 2023
• Full Page

Older breast cancer survivors often have other medical issues and a shorter life expectancy than younger breast cancer survivors. What's more, their cancers are often slow-growing, and surveillance may lead to over-treatment of cancers that won't kill them, researchers say.

Black Women Die of Breast Cancer at Younger Ages. Should They Be Screened Earlier?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• April 21, 2023
• Full Page

Experts recommend that women at least consider starting breast cancer screening once they turn 40. Now a new study suggests that is especially critical for Black women.

Looking at data on U.S. breast cancer deaths, researchers found -- as other studies have -- that Black...

High Co-Pays, Deductibles Keep Some Women From Mammogram Follow-Up

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 5, 2023
• Full Page

A new study shows that money, or lack of it, can stand in the way of follow-up testing after an abnormal mammogram result.

Just over one-fifth of U.S. women surveyed by researchers said they would skip additional testing if they had to pay a deductible or co-pay.

O...

Suspicious Mammogram? Out-of-Pocket Costs Keep Some Women From Follow-Up

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• March 31, 2023
• Full Page

Breast cancer screening may be free for women with health insurance, but high costs may still keep some from getting needed follow-up tests, a new study finds.

The study, of more than 230,000 U.S. women who underwent screening mammography, found that those in insurance p...

New Breast Scanning Technology Might Beat Standard Mammography

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• March 14, 2023
• Full Page

Newer scanning technology may spot more breast cancers and lower the rate of dreaded false positives, a large, new study shows.

Now available in a growing number of health care facilities, tomosynthesis uses low-dose X-rays and computer reconstructions to create 3D ...

Mammogram Centers Must Notify Patients of Breast Density, FDA Says

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 9, 2023
• Full Page

New U.S. federal regulations will require mammography facilities to tell women if they have dense breasts, a description of how the tissue looks on the X-ray.

It can be more difficult to detect cancer in dense breast tissue on a mammogram. Having dense breasts is also a ...

Cancer Screenings Rise in States With Mandatory Paid Sick Leave

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• March 2, 2023
• Full Page

Many Americans are not getting recommended cancer screenings, and a new study hints at one way to push the needle: paid sick leave from work.

Researchers found that in areas of the United States that passed mandates on paid sick leave, cancer screening rates inched up in...

Millions of Americans Missed Vital Cancer Screenings in Pandemic's 2nd Year

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 24, 2023
• Full Page

Cancer screening rates were down again during 2021, the second year of the pandemic.

The number of women having cervical cancer screening dropped 4.4 million in 2021 compared to 2019, according to a study by the American Cancer Society (ACS). About 1.1 million fewer wome...

Breast Pain Doesn't Always Mean Cancer: When to Get a Mammogram

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• January 27, 2023
• Full Page

While anyone can experience breast pain, don't panic: It's rarely cancer.

Penn State Health offers some reassurance about what might cause the pain and when it might be time to have a mammogram.

"We see a lot of patients who come looking for answers that have wides...

Only 1 in 7 Cancers Are Caught Through Cancer Screenings

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 30, 2022
• Full Page

Just 14% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States are detected through routine screening, a new analysis finds -- pointing to many missed opportunities to catch cancer early.

"It's surprising, but true," said