The Right To Know Campaign Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. And living with a disability does not make you immune. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, learn the facts about breast cancer and why screening should be a regular part of your health care.
In the United States in 2010, the percentage of women with a disability aged 50-74 that received a mammogram during the past 2 years was lower than the percentage of women without disabilities of the same ages that received a mammogram during the past 2 years (61% vs. 75%).1
Studies also show higher rates of death related to breast cancer among women with a disability, even when diagnosed at the same stage as women without a disability.2 Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.
More Information
- CDC’s Campaign: “Breast Cancer Screening: The Right to Know.”
- Free Flyers, Fact Sheets, and Dissemination Guide
- CDC’s Disability and Health
- Tip Sheets (PDF) in English pdf icon[PDF – 687KB] and Spanish pdf icon[PDF – 674KB]
- Basic Breast Cancer Information
- Breast Cancer Screening
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Summary of Recommendations on Breast Cancer Screeningexternal icon
- The Official U.S. Government Site for Medicareexternal icon
References
- Data File Documentation, National Health Interview Survey, 2010 (machine readable data file and documentation). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland. 2010. Disclaimer: The NHIS analyses in this report are those of the authors and not NCHS, which is responsible only for the initial data.
- McCarthy EP, Ngo LH, Roetzheim RG, et al.Disparities in breast cancer treatment and survival for women with disabilities.external icon Annals of Internal Medicine 2006; 145:637–645.