The NC breast cancer-screening program (BCCP) has targeted low-income women for mammogram screening to detect cancer early and to reduce mortality. Cancer incidence and mortality data of women with similar socio-economic characteristics provide a control group to objectively assess the effectiveness of BCCP's mammogram screening. The objective of this study is to compare stage and survival of NC women with breast cancer enrolled in BCCP and their non-BCCP neighbors. BCCP cancer cases were matched with the Cancer Registry data using geographical information. Logistic regression models were used to compare early cancer diagnosis and five-year survival between BCCP with their non-BCCP neighbors. There were 286 BCCP breast cancer cases and 3,485 Cancer Registry cases from census blocks in which BCCP screened. A higher percentage of BCCP enrolled women had breast cancers (73%) detected at an early stage than their non-BCCCP neighbors (68%) from the same census blocks (OR=1.28, p=0.07). There were 368 of 2,464 invasive breast cancer cases resulted in deaths reported to have breast cancer as the cause of death. BCCP enrolled women were slightly more likely to survive breast cancer than their non-BCCP neighbors (11% died within 5 years vs. 15%). Enrolling in BCCP provided women a higher chance of having breast cancer diagnosed early than their neighbors; these women had a slightly better chance of survival as well.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to asses effectiveness of a public health program using geographical information
Keywords: Breast Cancer Screening, Geographic Information Systems
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.