I believe there is always room for improvement in any particular situation, because, there is nothing perfect out there. The situation with breast cancer is not any different. Survivors of early-stage breast cancer generally receive good follow up care during the first year after they finish treatment, but not all of them get the recommended mammograms.
The above findings are from a study done by Dr. Jeanne S. Mandelblatt of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC, and her colleagues. These researchers studied a group of survivors with stage I or II breast cancer who had received appropriate treatment for their breast cancer. The patients were asked to complete calendar diaries detailing health care use for one year after treatment.
A total of 558 women participated in the study, 391 turned in a health care diary. The researchers found that, on average, these survivors used health service 30 times in the year after treatment, a rate higher than that of the general population. Although all women with breast cancer should have a mammography in the first year after treatment, the researchers report that only 62 percent did really have mammograms. Researchers found that women who had a lumpectomy were more likely to receive a mammogram than those who had a mastectomy, and white women were more likely to receive one than nonwhite women.
It is important to note that for every 100,000 women alive today in the United States, 815 are breast cancer survivors. These women should receive optimal surveillance for recurrence of breast cancer, for the development of other cancers and for evaluation of long-term side effects related to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. |
