Summary
Given that detection method has been shown to be an important prognostic factor, researchers examined the association between breast cancer detection method and various demographic and health-related factors in a representative sample of female breast cancer patients aged 40+ years in California.
Authors analyzed data from the 2009 and 2011–2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Weighted percentages of breast cancer patients by detection method were calculated.
Findings: 36% of female breast cancer patients first detected their cancer themselves. Compared to U.S.-born women, those who had spent 40% or less of their lifetime in the U.S. were more than twice as likely to report their breast cancer being patient-detected versus clinically detected. Rural women were also more likely to report a patient-detected breast cancer than urban women.
Recent immigrants and those residing in rural areas were more likely to report self-detecting their breast cancer. Given the persistent disparities with regard to breast cancer mortality, particularly among underserved communities, strategies addressing barriers to screening uptake in these populations may be warranted.
