EON

New York – Over the past several years, Mammograms have dropped significantly across the U.S, according to a new study released Monday.

Researches found that between 2000 and 2005 the rate of mammograms test for women has dropped by 4 percent.

This upends big increases since the 1980s. The mammography rate for women past the age of 40 was only 39 percent in 1987.

The study found declines among groups who traditionally have used mammography at high rates, including higher-income and better-educated women, those in ages 50 to 64 and non-Hispanic whites.

The reasons behind the decline could be due to long wait times to get appointments as well as a fear of breast cancer. Women are still not even sure if it is 100% safe therefore they may not be as prone to going out to get it done regularly.

The study was done by the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most studies show that widespread use of mammograms have made early detection of breast cancer more common and reduced death rates from the disease.

Mammograms are used to screen healthy women for signs of breast cancer and are considered a crucial tool to detect the disease at its earliest stages when it is most treatable.Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women behind only lung cancer