More middle-aged U.S. women get mammograms -- study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Nearly seven of 10 U.S. women 50 and older say they have had mammograms in the past two years, statistics released Wednesday showed.

This compared with 61 percent in 1994 and 27 percent in 1987, reported the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Annual mammograms are recommended for all women over 50 because they can catch breast cancer at earlier, more treatable stages.

"This is positive news," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala said in a statement.

"We've come a long way in educating women about the importance of early detection as a vital prevention tool in battling breast cancer."

According to the report, age-adjusted death rates from breast cancer for women fell to 19 deaths per 100,000 in 1998, from 23 in 1990. Better treatment and earlier detection are both credited.

But the report found disparities in other areas of health care. It found that nearly half of adults living in poverty had an untreated dental cavity, compared with one in five adults whose incomes were above the poverty line.

The report also found that poor children were 50 percent more likely to have had a emergency department visit in 1998.

Cigarette smoking by adults has remained stable at about 25 percent since 1990, the report found.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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