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Objectives: Mammography is a screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. Uptake in screening use in states can be influenced by Medicaid coverage and eligibility policies, public health outreach efforts, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. We described state-specific mammography use in 2020 and changes as compared with 2012., Methods: We estimated the proportion of women aged ≥40 years who reported receiving a mammogram in the past 2 years, by age group, state, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, using 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. We also compared 2020 state estimates with 2012 estimates., Results: The proportion of women aged 50-74 years who received a mammogram in the past 2 years was 78.1% (95% CI, 77.4%-78.8%) in 2020. Across measures of socioeconomic status, mammography use was generally lower among women who did not have health insurance (52.0%; 95% CI, 48.3%-55.6%) than among those who did (79.9%; 95% CI, 79.3%-80.6%) and among those who had a usual source of care (49.4%; 95% CI, 46.1%-52.7%) than among those who did not (81.0%; 95% CI, 80.4%-81.7%). Among women aged 50-74 years, mammography use varied across states, from a low of 65.2% (95% CI, 61.4%-69.0%) in Wyoming to a high of 86.1% (95% CI, 83.8%-88.3%) in Massachusetts. Four states had significant increases in mammography use from 2012 to 2020, and 8 states had significant declines., Conclusion: Mammography use varied widely among states. Use of evidence-based interventions tailored to the needs of local populations and communities may help close gaps in the use of mammography., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: The uninsured rate declined following passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. It is unclear how this decrease affected the size of the population eligible for existing safety net programs. We evaluated trends in the number of women eligible for breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services under the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and the reach of the program., Methods: Using the Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates data, we calculated the number of women who met the NBCCEDP eligibility criteria based on age, income, and insurance status. We used these data in conjunction with program to estimate the proportion of eligible women served by the NBCCEDP., Results: The number of women eligible for breast cancer screening and diagnostic services under the program declined from 5.4 (90% CI 5.2-5.6) to 2.8 (90% CI 2.6-3.0) million from 2011 to 2017. The number of women eligible for cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services declined from 10.3 (90% CI 10.0-10.6) to 5.3 (90% CI 5.1-5.6) million. The share of eligible women served by the program was 15.0% (90% CI 14.8-15.1%) for breast services in 2016-2017 and 6.8% (90% CI 6.7-6.8%) for cervical services in 2015-2017., Conclusion: Insurance coverage expansions may have contributed to a decrease in the number of program-eligible women. There are many more women eligible for the program than are served.

In 2013, the American Society for Radiation Oncology recommended against the routine use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in breast cancer patients. We evaluated trends in the use of IMRT before and after the release of the recommendation. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare data, we identified 13 457 breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 who received breast-conserving surgery and postsurgery, whole-breast, IMRT, or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. We find that the use of IMRT decreased by 4.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.6 to 5.6; two-sided P < .001) percentage points in hospital-based clinics. In freestanding radiotherapy clinics, which had baseline rates of IMRT use that were more than 20 percentage points higher than in hospital-based clinics, use of IMRT declined by 6.1 (95% CI = 3.5 to 8.7; two-sided P < .001) percentage points. Use of IMRT declined following the release of the recommendation, but a large share of patients treated in freestanding clinics continue to receive IMRT., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine mammography screening for women aged 40-49 years. This revised recommendation was widely criticized and has sparked off intense debate. The objectives of this study are to examine the impact of the revised recommendation on the proportion of women receiving mammograms and how the effect varied by age., Methods: We identified women who had continuous health insurance coverage and who did not have breast cancer between 2008 and 2011 in the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims Databases using mammogram procedure codes. Using women aged 50-59 years as a control group, we used a differences-in-differences approach to estimate the impact of the revised recommendation on the proportion of women ages 40-49 years who received at least one mammogram. We also compared the age-specific changes in the proportion of women ages 35-59 years who were screened before and after the release of the revised recommendation., Results: The proportion of women screened among the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups were 58.5 and 62.5%, respectively, between 2008 and 2009, and 56.9 and 62.0%, respectively, between 2010 and 2011. After 2009, the proportion of women screened declined by 1.2 percentage point among women aged 40-49 years (P < 0.01). The proportion of women screened decreased for all ages, and decreases were larger among women closer to the 40-year threshold., Conclusions: The 2009 USPSTF breast cancer recommendation was followed by a small reduction in the proportion of insured women aged 40-49 years who were screened. Reductions were larger among women at the younger end of the age range, who presumably had less prior experience with mammography than women nearing 50.

Conventional wisdom holds that physicians are slow to abandon ineffective medical practices. We evaluated this theory in the case of axillary lymph node dissection, a procedure to remove the lymph nodes near the breast to prevent the spread of breast cancer following breast-conserving surgery. A major trial conducted from 1999 to 2004, with results presented in 2010 and published in 2011, found that patients who met certain criteria could forgo axillary lymph node dissection. Using cancer registry data, we estimated that the proportion of patients undergoing axillary dissection declined by 32.6 percentage points after the trial was published. The decline began immediately after the trial was presented at a medical conference. The rapid decline in the use of axillary dissection belies the common belief that practice patterns are slow to change in response to new evidence, and it highlights the value of trials of established medical practices to patients and the health system., (Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.)

Objective: To describe the number and proportion of eligible women receiving mammograms funded by the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)., Methods: Low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women aged 40-64 are eligible for mammography screening through the NBCCEDP. We used data from the NBCCEDP, the Current Population Survey, and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to describe the number and proportion of women screened by the NBCCEDP and overall., Results: In 2011 and 2012, the NBCCEDP screened 549,043 women aged 40-64, an estimated 10.6 % (90 % confidence interval [CI] 10.4-10.9 %) of the eligible population. We estimate that 30.6 % (90 % CI 26.4-34.8 %) of eligible women aged 40-64 were screened outside the NBCCEDP, and 58.8 % (90 % CI 54.6-63.0 %) were not screened. The proportion of eligible women screened by the NBCCEDP varied across states, with an estimated range of 3.2 % (90 % CI 2.9-3.5 %) to 52.8 % (90 % CI 36.1-69.6 %) and a median of 13.7 % (90 % CI 11.0-16.4 %). The estimated proportion of eligible women aged 40-64 who received mammograms through the NBCCEDP was relatively constant over time, 11.1 % (90 % CI 10.2-11.9 %) in 1998-1999 and 10.6 % (90 % CI 10.4-11.9 %) in 2011-2012 (p = 0.23), even as the number of women screened increased from 343,692 to 549,043., Conclusions: Although the NBCCEDP provided screening services to over a half million low-income uninsured women for mammography, it served a small percentage of those eligible. The majority of low-income, uninsured women were not screened.

Objective: The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screens to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women. We describe the number and proportion of women eligible for cervical cancer screening services and the proportion of eligible women screened over the period 1997-2012., Methods: Low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women aged 18-64 years who have not had a hysterectomy are eligible for cervical cancer screening through the NBCCEDP. We estimated the number of low-income, uninsured women using data from the US Census Bureau. We adjusted our estimates for hysterectomy status using the National Health Interview Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We used data from the NBCCEDP to describe the number of women receiving NBCCEDP-funded screening and calculated the proportion of eligible women who received screening through the NBCCEDP at the national level (by age group, race/ethnicity) and at the state level by age group. We used the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to estimate the proportion of NBCCEDP-eligible women who were screened outside the NBCCEDP and the proportion that are not screened., Results: We estimate that in 2010-2012, 705,970 women aged 18-64 years, 6.5 % (705,970 of 9.8 million) of the eligible population, received NBCCEDP-funded Pap tests. We estimate that 60.2 % of eligible women aged 18-64 years were screened outside the NBCCEDP and 33.3 % were not screened. The NBCCEDP provided 623,603 screens to women aged 40-64 years, an estimated 16.5 % of the eligible population, and 83,660 screens to women aged 18-39 years, representing an estimated 1.2 % of the eligible population. The estimated proportions of eligible women screened in each state ranged from 1.5 to 32.7 % and 5 % to 73.2 % among the 18-64 and 40-64 years age groups, respectively. Changes in the proportion of eligible women screened over the study period were nonsignificant., Conclusions: Although the program provided cervical screening to over 700,000 women between 2010 and 2012, it served a small percent of those eligible. The proportion of women screened varied substantially across age groups, racial/ethnic groups, and states. Many low-income, uninsured women are not being screened.

Background: Special events are common community-based strategies for health promotion. This paper presents findings from a systematic literature review on the impact of special events to promote breast, cervical or colorectal cancer education and screening., Methods: Articles in English that focused on special events involving breast, cervical, and/or colorectal cancer conducted in the U.S. and published between January 1990 and December 2011 were identified from seven databases: Ovid, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstract, Cochrane Libraries, and EconLit. Study inclusion and data extraction were independently validated by two researchers., Results: Of the 20 articles selected for screening out of 1,409, ten articles on special events reported outcome data. Five types of special events were found: health fairs, parties, cultural events, special days, and plays. Many focused on breast cancer only, or in combination with other cancers. Reach ranged from 50-1732 participants. All special events used at least one evidence-based strategy suggested by the Community Guide to Preventive Services, such as small media, one-on-one education, and reducing structural barriers. For cancer screening as an outcome of the events, mammography screening rates ranged from 4.8% to 88%, Pap testing was 3.9%, and clinical breast exams ranged from 9.1% to 100%. For colorectal screening, FOBT ranged from 29.4% to 76%, and sigmoidoscopy was 100% at one event. Outcome measures included intentions to get screened, scheduled appointments, uptake of clinical exams, and participation in cancer screening., Conclusions: Special events found in the review varied and used evidence-based strategies. Screening data suggest that some special events can lead to increases in cancer screening, especially if they provide onsite screening services. However, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that special events are effective in increasing cancer screening. The heterogeneity of populations served, event activities, outcome variables assessed, and the reliance on self-report to measure screening limit conclusions. This study highlights the need for further research to determine the effectiveness of special events to increase cancer screening.

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., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In 1999, three randomized controlled trials concluded that high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HDC/HCT) is no better than conventional chemotherapy for women with breast cancer. This study documents the impact of the trials on use of HDC/HCT and describes how hospitals reacted to the trials., Data Source: We used patient-level data on 15,847 HDC/HCTs reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research between 1994 and 2005., Study Design: We report trends in total HDC/HCT procedure volume, compare the time to hospitals' exit from the HDC/HCT market between research and nonresearch hospitals, and document trends in hospital-specific volumes in the 2 years before exit., Principal Findings: HDC/HCT volume declined from 3,108 in 1998 to 1,363 the year after trial results were released. In 2002, only 76 procedures were performed. Teaching hospitals and the hospitals that participated in the trials were no slower to discontinue the procedure compared with nonteaching, nonparticipating hospitals. At the hospital level, volume declined steadily in the months before abandonment., Conclusion: The results suggest that comparative effectiveness research studies that report negative results can reduce spending, but specialists may be reluctant to relinquish cutting-edge technologies., (© Health Research and Educational Trust.)

Background: The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening to low-income, uninsured or underinsured women. The authors analyzed the impact of the NBCCEDP on breast cancer mortality rates., Methods: The data consisted of observations for each state and year for the period from 1990 through 2004. The outcome variable was the breast cancer mortality rate for women ages 40 to 64 years. Independent variables included the proportion of women ages 40 to 64 years screened under NBCCEDP. The impact of screening intensity was estimated using least-squares regression with state and year fixed effects., Results: In 2004, 1.2% of women ages 40 to 64 years were screened under NBCCEDP. The NBCCEDP screening rate was related significantly and negatively to breast cancer mortality in the same year. Results indicate that, for every 1000 women screened, there were 0.6 fewer deaths because of breast cancer among women ages 40 to 64 years. Changes in screening rates were unrelated to breast cancer mortality≥2 years in the future., Conclusions: In the current study, there was some evidence suggesting that the NBCCEDP led to a reduction in breast cancer mortality rates. However, the failure to detect an impact of screening on mortality rates in subsequent years suggests that caution is needed in interpreting these results as strong evidence in favor of the effectiveness of the NBCCEDP in reducing breast cancer mortality., (Copyright © 2010 American Cancer Society.)