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Saving Women's Lives: Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

Released:
June 10, 2004
Type:
Consensus Report
Topic(s):
Biomedical and Health Research, Quality and Patient Safety, Women's Health
Activity:
Saving Women's Lives: Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis
Board(s):
National Cancer Policy Board

More than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year and more than 40,000 women will die. What are the most effective ways to further reduce mortality from breast cancer? What changes are needed to improve how breast cancer screening services are delivered to patients in the United States? And which technologies show the most promise for improving early detection and diagnosis?

This report from the Institute of Medicine says that one of the biggest problems facing women today is that their access to breast cancer screening is endangered due to a shortage of breast imaging specialists. Each year, more than 1.2 million American women turn 40, the age when most are recommended to get their first mammogram, but there are not enough breast imaging specialists to keep up with the demand.

While new technologies hold promise for increasing the accuracy of breast cancer detection, improving access to mammography and broadening the pool of medical personnel who can interpret mammograms offer the greatest potential for immediately reducing the number of lives lost to breast cancer in the United States.

Report at a Glance

Fact Sheet: Basics of Breast Cancer (PDF)
Fact Sheet: Breast Cancer Risk (PDF)
Fact Sheet: Mammography Capacity (PDF)
Fact Sheet: Mammography Effectiveness (PDF)

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Other Reports by this Activity

Displaying: 3 of 3 Reports

  • Saving Women's Lives: Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis--A Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Institute of Medicine Symposium In this report The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) present a one-day symposium that was held at the IOM to further disseminate the conclusions and recommendations of the joint IOM and National Research Council report Saving Women's Lives: Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis.
    Released: March 9, 2005
  • Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Non-Technical Summary Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technology for Early Detection of Breast Cancer reviews screening film mammography and other newer technologies, their current stage of development, usefulness, and issues in developing, approving, and payment methods. Although several new technologies on the horizon show promise for improved capability to detect breast cancer, the report says that none have yet proved superior to traditional, X-ray film mammography in screening for breast cancer. More evaluation and development of new imaging tools and of promising molecular biological techniques is required and warranted. This is a non-technical summary of that report.
    Released: April 4, 2003
  • Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer This report reviews screening film mammography and other newer technologies, their current stage of development, usefulness, and issues in developing, approving, and payment methods. Although several new technologies on the horizon show promise for improved capability to detect breast cancer, the report says that none have yet proved superior to traditional, X-ray film mammography in screening for breast cancer. More evaluation and development of new imaging tools and of promising molecular biological techniques is required and warranted.
    Released: April 4, 2003

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