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An update on mammography use in Canada
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by Margot Shields and Kathryn Wilkins
Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Authors
What is already known on this subject?
What does this study add?
Abstract
Background
This article updates mammography use by Canadian women aged 50 to 69, and reports trends from 1990 to 2008 among the provinces. Characteristics of non-users are examined.
Data sources and methods
Data from the 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were used to update mammography use and to examine factors associated with non-use. Historical estimates were produced using the 2000/2001, 2003 and 2005 CCHS, the 1994/1995, 1996/1997 and 1998/1999 National Population Health Survey and the 1990 Health Promotion Survey. Frequency estimates, cross-tabulations and logistic regression analysis were used.
Results
In 2008, 72% of women aged 50 to 69 reported having had a mammogram in the past two years, up from 40% in 1990. The increase occurred from 1990 to 2000/2001; rates then stabilized. Between 1990 and 2000/2001, the difference in participation between women in the highest and lowest income quintiles gradually narrowed—from a 26- to a 12-percentage-point difference. In 2008, the disparity widened to 18 percentage points. Non-use was high in British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut. Non-use was associated with being an immigrant, living in a lower income household, not having a regular doctor and smoking.
Interpretation
Despite widespread availability of screening programs, women in certain segments of the population are not receiving regular mammograms.
Keywords
breast cancer, cancer screening, mass screening, trends
Findings
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and will be diagnosed in an estimated 22,700 Canadian women in 2009. A woman’s probability of developing breast cancer over her lifetime is 1 in 9. The probability of dying from the disease is much smaller—1 in 28. The relative five-year survival for women with breast cancer is 87%—meaning that compared with women with similar characteristics but without breast cancer, those with breast cancer are 87% as likely to survive five years after diagnosis. [Full text]
Authors
Margot Shields (1-613-951-4177; Margot.Shields@statcan.gc.ca) and Kathryn Wilkins (1-613-951-1769; Kathryn.Wilkins@statcan.gc.ca) are with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6.
What is already known on this subject?
- Evidence suggests that mammography contributes to reductions in mortality from breast cancer.
- Since the first provincial breast screening program was launched in 1988, rapidly increasing numbers of women have used mammography.
- Data collected in the mid-1990s indicate that use of mammography was not uniform throughout the population.
What does this study add?
- In 2008, 72% of women reported having mammography in the past two years, up from 40% in 1990.
- Mammography use peaked in 2000/2001.
- Before 2000/2001, rates differed markedly among the provinces; since then, provincial rates have become more similar.
- Mammography use in 2008 was less common at lower levels of income and education, and among immigrants, smokers, and those without a regular doctor.
- From 2005 to 2008, use of mammography declined among women at the lowest income level.
