Breast Cancer Screening Rates

Breast cancer screening means checking a woman's breasts for cancer before there are signs or symptoms of the disease. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.

Source for graph data: National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2009: With Special Feature on Medical Technology [PDF-10.5MB]. Hyattsville, MD. 2010.

Mammography Percentages by Race and Ethnicity

The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 40 years and older who had a mammogram in the last two years, grouped by race and ethnicity.

Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 40 Years and Older Who Have Had a Mammogram in the Last 2 Years by Race* and Ethnicity†

Race* or Ethnicity	2000	2003	2005	2008
White only	71.4	70.1	67.4	67.9
Black only	67.8	70.4	64.9	68.0
American Indian/Alaska Native only	47.4	63.1	72.8	62.7
Asian only	53.5	57.6	54.6	66.1
Hispanic or Latina†	61.2	65.0	58.8	61.2

*Estimates for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are considered unreliable and are not shown in this graph.

†The group, or category, called "Hispanic" may include race categories like white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander.

Mammography Percentages by Education Level

The percentages of mammography screening vary by education level. Women with the most years of schooling are most likely to have had a mammogram in the last two years. The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 40 years and older who had a mammogram in the last two years, grouped by their highest level of education.

Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 40 Years and Older Who Have Had a Mammogram in the Last 2 Years by Education Level

Education Level	2000	2003	2005	2008
No high school diploma or GED	57.7	58.1	52.8	53.8
High school diploma or GED	69.7	67.8	64.9	65.2
Some college or more	76.2	75.1	72.7	73.4

Mammography Percentages by Age

The percentages of mammography screening vary by age. Women aged 50 to 64 years are most likely to have had a mammogram in the last two years, followed by older women and younger women. The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 40 years and older who had a mammogram in the last two years, grouped by age.

Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 40 Years and Older Who Have Had a Mammogram in the Last 2 Years by Age

Age Group	2000	2003	2005	2008
40 to 49 years	64.3	64.4	63.5	61.5
50 to 64 years	78.7	76.2	71.8	74.2
65 years and older	67.9	67.7	63.8	65.4