Utah has the 2nd lowest screening rate in the nation with approximately 67% of Utah women 40 and older reporting that they have had a mammogram in the last two years. Utah women lag behind in breast cancer screening compared to the rest of the nation and have since 2000.
Seventy to eighty percent of women who get breast cancer have no family history.
Breast Cancer is the leading cause of female cancer death in Utah.
It is estimated that 1480 Utah women will get breast cancer in 2012.
It is estimated that 250 Utah women will die from breast cancer in 2012.
Early detection could spare as many as one-third of those lives.
Getting regular mammograms, beginning at age 40, is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. When detected at an early stage, there is a 99% five year survival rate.
This means that of all women diagnosed with breast cancer at an early stage 99 of every 100 women were living five years after diagnosis.
Mammograms can detect breast cancer an average of 1-3 years before a woman can feel the lump.
Regular mammograms are recommended for women over 40, with or without a family history of breast cancer or symptoms.
Screening services are available through the Utah Cancer Control Program. Low-cost or free mammograms may be available to qualifying women between between the ages of 40-64.
Call 1-800-717-1811 to see if you qualify for a free breast and cervical cancer screening and other types of screenings.
Women with Breast Cancer should consult with their health care provider to discuss the best treatment options available for them.
Women with breast or cervical cancer by any health care provider may be eligible for Medicaid Treatment referral through the Utah Cancer Control Program.
