Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1991 Apr;81(4):462–465. doi: 10.2105/ajph.81.4.462

Does increased detection account for the rising incidence of breast cancer?

J M Liff 1, J F Sung 1, W H Chow 1, R S Greenberg 1, W D Flanders 1
PMCID: PMC1405041  PMID: 2003625

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing over time in the United States. METHODS: To determine the role of screening in this increase, trends in the incidence of in situ and invasive carcinoma of the breast were evaluated using records of the metropolitan Atlanta SEER program between 1979 and 1986. From a sample of records, evidence of symptoms and mammographic screening prior to diagnosis was recorded. RESULTS: The average annual age-adjusted incidence of invasive disease rose 29 percent among Whites and 41 percent among Blacks. Incidence increased in all age groups. A trend towards earlier detection of invasive disease was found. Asymptomatic tumors accounted for only 40 percent of the increased incidence among whites and 25 percent of the increased incidence among blacks, with mammography as the principal contributing procedure. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that increased detection accounts for some but not all of the rising incidence of breast cancer in the United States.

Full text

PDF
462

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ansell D. A., Dillard J., Rothenberg M., Bork J., Fizzotti G. F., Alagaratnam D., Shiomoto G., Gunther T., Greager J. A., 2nd Breast cancer screening in an urban black population. A preliminary report. Cancer. 1988 Jul 15;62(2):425–428. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19880715)62:2<425::aid-cncr2820620229>3.0.co;2-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Child M. A., Lynn M. J. Georgia cancer facts. J Med Assoc Ga. 1983 Aug;72(8):561–562. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chow W. H., Liff J. M., Greenberg R. S. Mammography in Atlanta. J Med Assoc Ga. 1987 Nov;76(11):788–792. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Frome E. L., Checkoway H. Epidemiologic programs for computers and calculators. Use of Poisson regression models in estimating incidence rates and ratios. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Feb;121(2):309–323. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hadjimichael O. C., Boyle C. A., Meigs J. W. Abortion before first livebirth and risk of breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 1986 Feb;53(2):281–284. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1986.46. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hill D., Rassaby J., Gray N. Health education about breast cancer using television and doctor involvement. Prev Med. 1982 Jan;11(1):43–55. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(82)90004-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Le Marchand L., Yoshizawa N., Kolonel L. N., Nomura A. M. Time trends in characteristics at diagnosis and subsequent survival for Caucasian, Japanese and Hawaiian women with breast cancer in Hawaii. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(12):1099–1110. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90077-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. McPherson K., Neil A., Vessey M. P., Doll R. Oral contraceptives and breast cancer. Lancet. 1983 Dec 17;2(8364):1414–1415. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)90936-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miettinen O. Estimability and estimation in case-referent studies. Am J Epidemiol. 1976 Feb;103(2):226–235. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112220. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, Kampert J. B., Chang H. G. Characteristics that predict risk of breast cancer before and after the menopause. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Aug;112(2):258–268. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112992. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pike M. C., Henderson B. E., Casagrande J. T., Rosario I., Gray G. E. Oral contraceptive use and early abortion as risk factors for breast cancer in young women. Br J Cancer. 1981 Jan;43(1):72–76. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1981.10. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pike M. C., Henderson B. E., Krailo M. D., Duke A., Roy S. Breast cancer in young women and use of oral contraceptives: possible modifying effect of formulation and age at use. Lancet. 1983 Oct 22;2(8356):926–930. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)90450-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pollack E. S., Horm J. W. Trends in cancer incidence and mortality in the United States, 1969-76. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1980 May;64(5):1091–1103. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schnitt S. J., Silen W., Sadowsky N. L., Connolly J. L., Harris J. R. Ductal carcinoma in situ (intraductal carcinoma) of the breast. N Engl J Med. 1988 Apr 7;318(14):898–903. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198804073181406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tabar L., Duffy S. W., Krusemo U. B. Detection method, tumour size and node metastases in breast cancers diagnosed during a trial of breast cancer screening. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1987 Jul;23(7):959–962. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(87)90341-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. White E., Daling J. R., Norsted T. L., Chu J. Rising incidence of breast cancer among young women in Washington State. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1987 Aug;79(2):239–243. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. White E. Projected changes in breast cancer incidence due to the trend toward delayed childbearing. Am J Public Health. 1987 Apr;77(4):495–497. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.4.495. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Worden J. K., Flynn B. S., Solomon L. J., Costanza M. C., Foster R. S., Jr, Dorwaldt A. L., Driscoll M. A., Ashikaga T. A community-wide breast self-exam education program. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1987;248:27–37. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES