Nearly half of the county council recalls a call for mammography

Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Nevertheless, less than half of the county council members send a reminder to those who are absent from their mammogram, even if it does have a positive effect. This is clear from the mapping of mammography routines in the Swedish County Council by the Breast Cancer Association.

Every year, 7,600 women are affected by breast cancer. Thanks to advances in research and the fact that many tumors are discovered at an early stage, 80% of survivors survive their cancer. The Swedish mammography program detects two breast cancer tumors diagnosed today out of three.

Two in ten women will not do it – foreigners will not be twice as often
Two out of ten women called mammograms are missing from their visit. There are mainly three groups of women who are not part of the survey: women with less education and lower economic performance, women aged 40 to 50 and women born abroad.

Foreign-born women miss more than twice the mammographic survey compared to women born in Sweden. It is therefore imperative to sensitize these women to the importance of early detection, personal examination and regular mammography.

– The proportion of women born abroad has more than doubled in recent decades. We need to focus on how to reach these women. The sending of a reminder or a new appeal is a question that has already been asked and it would be good for it to be updated again, "says Karin Leifland, chief of the Department of Diagnosis of Image and Oncology at Södersjukhuset.

A small but important increase in the booster
One of the county councils that sends a reminder or a new appeal is Skåne. After the recall, the number of women surveyed increased by 5%. In Västra Götaland, which did the same, the participation increased by 3%. In these locations, the recall was associated with additional information efforts.

-3-5% may appear to be a slight increase, but the sooner a cancerous tumor is discovered, the greater the suffering of the victim and those close to him. In addition, health care costs are higher when the disease is discovered late, "said Susanne Dieroff Hay, president of the Breast Cancer Association.

Susanne also stresses the importance of educating women born abroad. In some cultures, breast cancer is taboo and knowledge of the meaning of the disease is not well known.

"Unfortunately, the disease is a taboo subject, contributing to the lack of knowledge about why they are going to study the laser, even if they are healthy." Therefore, targeted communication efforts are needed to reach the group with the right information, continues Susanne Dieroff Hay.

Breast Cancer Association Proposal to Increase Early Detection Opportunities
One of the most important tasks of the Breast Cancer Association is to facilitate early detection of breast cancers.

• Send a reminder to the mammography call.
• Special efforts of information for women born abroad
• mammography bus for those living far from screening
• individualized survey.

About mammography

• Mammography has been introduced gradually since the 1980s and was fully developed in 1997.
• In Sweden, all women aged 40 to 74 are called mammograms 18-24 months apart.
• Mammography can detect tumors early and well treated.
• According to the National Board of Health, screening is a cost-effective measure.
• An overview of 45 European studies showed that mammography reduced breast cancer mortality by 31%.
• The Breast Cancer Association has published a summary report on mammography in 2015 that you can find here.

About the exam
Today, every county or region must decide locally whether to send a reminder or a new call when a woman is not in the mammography phase. The municipalities and the Swedish county councils had already considered introducing this legislation at the national level, but there is no relevant question at the moment. To better understand the communication situation with policymakers, information on county council action was compiled by the National Working Group on Mammography Issues in Regional Cancer Centers and on-call. to applications in the summer and fall of 2018.

For more information, contact Susanne Dieroff Hay, President, at 070-239 21 83.

Breast Cancer Association (BRO) (formerly National Breast Cancer Association, BRO) is an ideal patient organization united by a political party and a religion of 33 Breast Cancer Associations across the country. The Breast Cancer Association was established in 1982 and has more than 11,000 members. She is involved in research, health care and rehabilitation. www.bröstcancerförbundet.se

Breast Cancer Foundation, its own breast cancer fund, was established in 2001. Through the Breast Cancer Foundation, the Breast Cancer Association raises funds for major research on breast cancer. patient-related breast cancer and impact work aimed at improving the treatment of breast cancer. But also the dissemination of knowledge, information and support to breast cancer victims and their loved ones. Nobody should be alone with her breast cancer!