Jeffrey S. Legg

The influence of previous breast cancer upon mammography utilization

Women with a previous history of breast cancer are at increased risk for developing cancer in the opposite breast. However, the literature is inconsistent regarding whether a previous history of breast cancer is associated positively with mammography utilization. Some studies indicate that women with a previous history of breast cancer are less likely to utilize mammography, although behavioral models of health care theorize that women with a history of breast cancer may be more vigilant regarding the disease. We analyzed responses from 830 women > or =50 years who participated in the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. A significantly greater proportion of women with breast cancer reported had a mammogram in the previous year (73.13%) as compared with women who did not have breast cancer (56.69%). Although a previous history of breast cancer was found to be associated positively with mammography use, women with public sources of health insurance are less likely to report mammography use. Results indicate that women with a previous history of breast cancer appear aware of the necessity for continued screening. However, enabling factors such as type of health insurance continue to exert an influence upon the utilization of mammography.