Mammography rates after the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force breast cancer screening recommendation

Abstract

Objective: To measure the impact of the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening recommendation, which recommended against routine screening for women aged 40 to 49 and stated that there was "insufficient evidence" to recommend screening for women aged 75 and older, on mammography rates.

Methods: Self-reported mammography rates were calculated using the 2006-2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (n=29,857). The paper reports mammography rates by age group (40 to 49, 50 to 74, and 75 and older), adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and region. The study was performed at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 2012.

Results: Differences in mammography rates between 2010 and earlier years were not significant. Among women aged 40-49, biennial mammography rates declined by -0.5 percentage points between 2006 to 2009 and 2010 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.0 to 1.9; p=0.67). Among women aged 50-74, rates declined by -0.07 percentage points (95% CI: -1.8 to 1.7; p=0.93). Among women aged 75 years and older, rates declined by -0.1 percentage points (95% CI: -4.2 to 3.9; p=0.94).

Conclusion: The revision to the USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendation did not affect screening patterns.