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Dorothy S Lane

Publications and source records attributed to Dorothy S Lane.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Prior hormone therapy and breast cancer risk in the Women's Health Initiative randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent to which prior hormone therapy modifies the breast cancer risk found with estrogen plus progestin (E+P) in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized trial. METHODS: Subgroup analyses of prior hormone use on invasive breast cancer incidence in 16,608 postmenopausal women in the WHI randomized trial of E+P over an average 5.6 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Small but statistically significant differences were found between prior HT users and non-users for most breast cancer risk factors but Gail risk scores were similar. Duration of E+P use within the trial (mean 4.4 years, S.D. 2.0) did not vary by prior use. Among 4311 prior users, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for E+P versus placebo was 1.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-3.27), significantly different (p=0.03) from that among 12,297 never users (HR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.77-1.36). The interaction between study arm and follow-up time was significant overall (p=0.01) and among never users (p=0.02) but not among prior users (p=0.10). The cumulative incidence over time for the E+P and placebo groups appeared to cross after about 3 years in prior users, and after about 5 years in women with no prior use. No interaction was found with duration (p=0.08) or recency of prior use (p=0.17). Prior hormone use significantly increased the E+P hazard ratio for larger, more advanced tumors. CONCLUSION: A safe interval for combined hormone use could not be reliably defined with these data. However, the significant increase in breast cancer risk in the trial overall after only 5.6 years of follow-up, initially concentrated in women with prior hormone exposure, but with increasing risk over time in women without prior exposure, suggests that durations only slightly longer than those in the WHI trial are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Longer-term exposure and follow-up data are needed.

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PubMed2006

Effects of conjugated equine estrogens on breast cancer and mammography screening in postmenopausal women with hysterectomy.

CONTEXT: The Women's Health Initiative Estrogen-Aone trial comparing conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) with placebo was stopped early because of an increased stroke incidence and no reduction in risk of coronary heart disease. Preliminary results suggesting possible reduction in breast cancers warranted more detailed analysis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of CEE on breast cancers and mammographic findings. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Following breast cancer risk assessment, 10,739 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years with prior hysterectomy were randomized to CEE or placebo at 40 US clinical centers from 1993 through 1998. Mammography screenings and clinical breast examinations were performed at baseline and annually. All breast cancers diagnosed through February 29, 2004, are included. INTERVENTION: A dose of 0.625 mg/d of CEE or an identical-appearing placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Breast cancer incidence, tumor characteristics, and mammogram findings. RESULTS: After a mean (SD) follow-up of 7.1 (1.6) years, the invasive breast cancer hazard ratio (HR) for women assigned to CEE vs placebo was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-1.04; P = .09) with annualized rates of 0.28% (104 cases in the CEE group) and 0.34% (133 cases in the placebo group). In exploratory analyses, ductal carcinomas (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52-0.99) were reduced in the CEE group vs placebo group; however, the test for interaction by tumor type was not significant (P = .054). At 1 year, 9.2% of women in the CEE group had mammograms with abnormalities requiring follow-up vs 5.5% in the placebo group (P<.001), a pattern that continued through the trial to reach a cumulative percentage of 36.2% vs 28.1%, respectively (P<.001); however, this difference was primarily in assessments requiring short interval follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with CEE alone for 7.1 years does not increase breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy. However, treatment with CEE increases the frequency of mammography screening requiring short interval follow-up. Initiation of CEE should be based on consideration of the individual woman's potential risks and benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000611.

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PubMed2006

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Higher intake of calcium and vitamin D has been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in epidemiologic studies and polyp recurrence in polyp-prevention trials. However, randomized-trial evidence that calcium with vitamin D supplementation is beneficial in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer is lacking. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 36,282 postmenopausal women from 40 Women's Health Initiative centers: 18,176 women received 500 mg of elemental calcium as calcium carbonate with 200 IU of vitamin D3 [corrected] twice daily (1000 mg of elemental calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3) and 18,106 received a matching placebo for an average of 7.0 years. The incidence of pathologically confirmed colorectal cancer was the designated secondary outcome. Baseline levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were assessed in a nested case-control study. RESULTS: The incidence of invasive colorectal cancer did not differ significantly between women assigned to calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and those assigned to placebo (168 and 154 cases; hazard ratio, 1.08; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.34; P=0.51), and the tumor characteristics were similar in the two groups. The frequency of colorectal-cancer screening and abdominal symptoms was similar in the two groups. There were no significant treatment interactions with baseline characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Daily supplementation of calcium with vitamin D for seven years had no effect on the incidence of colorectal cancer among postmenopausal women. The long latency associated with the development of colorectal cancer, along with the seven-year duration of the trial, may have contributed to this null finding. Ongoing follow-up will assess the longer-term effect of this intervention. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000611.).

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2006

Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of invasive breast cancer: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial.

CONTEXT: The hypothesis that a low-fat dietary pattern can reduce breast cancer risk has existed for decades but has never been tested in a controlled intervention trial. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of undertaking a low-fat dietary pattern on breast cancer incidence. DESIGN AND SETTING: A randomized, controlled, primary prevention trial conducted at 40 US clinical centers from 1993 to 2005. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 48,835 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79 years, without prior breast cancer, including 18.6% of minority race/ethnicity, were enrolled. INTERVENTIONS: Women were randomly assigned to the dietary modification intervention group (40% [n = 19,541]) or the comparison group (60% [n = 29,294]). The intervention was designed to promote dietary change with the goals of reducing intake of total fat to 20% of energy and increasing consumption of vegetables and fruit to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings daily. Comparison group participants were not asked to make dietary changes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Invasive breast cancer incidence. RESULTS: Dietary fat intake was significantly lower in the dietary modification intervention group compared with the comparison group. The difference between groups in change from baseline for percentage of energy from fat varied from 10.7% at year 1 to 8.1% at year 6. Vegetable and fruit consumption was higher in the intervention group by at least 1 serving per day and a smaller, more transient difference was found for grain consumption. The number of women who developed invasive breast cancer (annualized incidence rate) over the 8.1-year average follow-up period was 655 (0.42%) in the intervention group and 1072 (0.45%) in the comparison group (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.01 for the comparison between the 2 groups). Secondary analyses suggest a lower hazard ratio among adherent women, provide greater evidence of risk reduction among women having a high-fat diet at baseline, and suggest a dietary effect that varies by hormone receptor characteristics of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Among postmenopausal women, a low-fat dietary pattern did not result in a statistically significant reduction in invasive breast cancer risk over an 8.1-year average follow-up period. However, the nonsignificant trends observed suggesting reduced risk associated with a low-fat dietary pattern indicate that longer, planned, nonintervention follow-up may yield a more definitive comparison. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000611.

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PubMed2006

Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of colorectal cancer: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial.

CONTEXT: Observational studies and polyp recurrence trials are not conclusive regarding the effects of a low-fat dietary pattern on risk of colorectal cancer, necessitating a primary prevention trial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a low-fat eating pattern on risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial, a randomized controlled trial conducted in 48,835 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years recruited between 1993 and 1998 from 40 clinical centers throughout the United States. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to the dietary modification intervention (n = 19,541; 40%) or the comparison group (n = 29,294; 60%). The intensive behavioral modification program aimed to motivate and support reductions in dietary fat, to increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, and to increase grain servings by using group sessions, self-monitoring techniques, and other tailored and targeted strategies. Women in the comparison group continued their usual eating pattern. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Invasive colorectal cancer incidence. RESULTS: A total of 480 incident cases of invasive colorectal cancer occurred during a mean follow-up of 8.1 (SD, 1.7) years. Intervention group participants significantly reduced their percentage of energy from fat by 10.7% more than did the comparison group at 1 year, and this difference between groups was mostly maintained (8.1% at year 6). Statistically significant increases in vegetable, fruit, and grain servings were also made. Despite these dietary changes, there was no evidence that the intervention reduced the risk of invasive colorectal cancer during the follow-up period. There were 201 women with invasive colorectal cancer (0.13% per year) in the intervention group and 279 (0.12% per year) in the comparison group (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.29). Secondary analyses suggested potential interactions with baseline aspirin use and combined estrogen-progestin use status (P = .01 for each). Colorectal examination rates, although not protocol defined, were comparable between the intervention and comparison groups. Similar results were seen in analyses adjusting for adherence to the intervention. CONCLUSION: In this study, a low-fat dietary pattern intervention did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women during 8.1 years of follow-up. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000611.

Adenoma↗
PubMed2006

Incidence of cervical cytological abnormalities with aging in the women's health initiative: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of cytological abnormalities and cervical cancer and to determine the effect of oral estrogen and progestin on cervical cytology among postmenopausal women participating in a multi-institution clinical trial. METHODS: The study was a longitudinal analysis of a prospective cohort of 16,608 postmenopausal women (aged 50-79 years) participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial of estrogen plus progestin. Eligible participants had a cervical smear within 1 year before randomization and at 3- and 6-year follow-ups. Outcomes measured were low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, HSIL) and cervical cancer at follow-up years 3 and 6. RESULTS: Of 15,733 eligible participants with a uterus, 7,663 were assigned to placebo and 8,070 to estrogen plus progestin. At baseline, 318 women (2%) had low-grade abnormalities on cervical cytology. The annual incidence rate of any new cytological abnormality in the estrogen plus progestin group was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-1.6). Independent risk factors for HSIL and cervical cancer over a 6-year follow-up (after stratifying for baseline cytologic abnormalities) included sexual activity in the past year while not being married or living as married (hazard ratio 3.5, 95% CI 1.5-8.3). Risk factors did not include age or use of estrogen plus progestin. CONCLUSION: Use of estrogen plus progestin was associated with increased incidence of any cytologic abnormality, although it had no impact on the incidence of HSIL or cervical cancer. Sexually active older women who are not married or living as married may benefit from continued cervical cancer screening. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00000611.

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PubMed2005

Symptom experience after discontinuing use of estrogen plus progestin.

CONTEXT: Little is known about women's experiences after stopping menopausal hormone therapy. OBJECTIVE: To describe women's symptoms and management strategies after stopping the intervention in a large estrogen plus progestin trial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional survey of 8405 women (89.9%; N = 9351) at 40 clinical centers who were still taking study pills (conjugated equine estrogens plus medroxyprogesterone [CEE + MPA] or placebo) when the estrogen plus progestin intervention (Women's Health Initiative) was stopped. Surveys were mailed 8 to 12 months after the stop date. Logistic regression was used to model vasomotor symptoms and pain or stiffness symptoms as functions of former treatment and baseline symptoms, adjusted for appropriate covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms (vasomotor or pain and stiffness) and management strategies. RESULTS: Respondents' mean (SD) age at trial stop date was 69.1 (6.7) years. They averaged 5.7 years of taking study pills. Moderate or severe vasomotor symptoms after discontinuing study pill use were reported by 21.2% of former CEE + MPA and 4.8% of placebo group respondents overall and by 55.5% and 21.3%, respectively, with these symptoms at baseline (randomization). Compared with respondents in the former placebo group, moderate or severe vasomotor symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.92-6.89) and pain or stiffness symptoms (AOR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.95-2.40) were more likely in respondents in the former CEE + MPA group. Both vasomotor symptoms (AOR, 5.36; 95% CI, 4.51-6.38) and pain or stiffness symptoms (AOR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.90-3.56) also were more likely in women with these symptoms at baseline. Women reported a wide range of strategies to manage symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the women with vasomotor symptoms at randomization to active CEE + MPA also reported these symptoms after discontinuing use of the study pills. However, these participants did not include women who were unwilling to be randomized or who had stopped taking the study pills earlier. These findings should be considered when advising women to treat menopausal symptoms with hormone therapy for as short duration as possible. Investigation of alternative strategies to manage menopausal symptoms is warranted.

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PubMed2005

Colorectal cancer screening attitudes and practices preferences for decision making.

BACKGROUND: The availability of several effective screening options for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening calls for involving patients in decision making about CRC screening. The current study examined (1) participant characteristics associated with their preferences for participation in CRC screening decision making, (2) correspondence between participant preferences for decision making and their usual participation in decision making, and (3) associations between participant decision-making preferences and CRC screening practices and attitudes. METHODS: Data were obtained using a random, population-based telephone survey, conducted during August 2001 and April 2002, of 2119 community-living adults aged 50 to 75 years (56% female) residing in Long Island, NY. RESULTS: Overall, 77% reported that preferences for CRC screening decision making matched how screening decisions were usually made (simple kappa coefficient=0.67 [0.64-0.69]). Fifteen percent preferred to make screening decisions themselves, while 25% preferred to make decisions after considering their physician's opinion; nearly 50% preferred to share decision making, and 16% preferred that their physician make all screening decisions. Less education was associated with preferring that the physician make all screening decisions. Preferring physician involvement in screening decision making was associated with greater odds of citing no physician recommendation as a barrier to CRC screening, when compared to those who preferred no physician involvement. Preferring no physician involvement in decision making was associated with lower odds of reporting a recent CRC screening exam, as well as lower odds of endorsing positive attitudes and greater odds of endorsing negative attitudes toward CRC screening, when compared to participants who preferred physician involvement in decision making. Their attitudes also reflected intentions not to screen for CRC if they were asymptomatic, as well as the perception that they were not at personal risk for CRC. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors were identified as significantly associated with preferences for decision making and deserve further exploration for their application to clinical practice.

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PubMed2004

Conjugated equine estrogens and incidence of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women: Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.

CONTEXT: The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) previously found increased risk for dementia and no effect on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in women treated with conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of CEE alone and CEE plus MPA on incidence of probable dementia and MCI in older women. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of CEE (estrogen-alone trial) or CEE plus MPA (estrogen plus progestin trial) in community-dwelling women aged 65 to 79 years, conducted from June 1995 to July 8, 2002 (estrogen plus progestin; n = 4532), or to February 29, 2004 (estrogen-alone; n = 2947), in 39 of the 40 WHI clinical centers. INTERVENTIONS: In the estrogen-alone trial, 1 daily tablet containing either 0.625 mg/d of CEE vs matching placebo; in the estrogen plus progestin trial, 1 daily tablet containing CEE (0.625 mg/d) plus MPA (2.5 mg/d) vs matching placebos. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Probable dementia and MCI. RESULTS: In the estrogen-alone trial, 47 participants were diagnosed with probable dementia, of whom 28 were assigned to CEE and 19 to placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-2.66). Incidence rates for probable dementia in the estrogen-alone trial were statistically similar to those in the estrogen plus progestin trial (45 vs 22 per 10 000 person-years for CEE plus MPA vs placebo, respectively; P =.11). When data were pooled per the original WHIMS protocol, the overall HR for probable dementia was 1.76 (95% CI, 1.19-2.60; P =.005). After excluding participants with baseline Modified Mini-Mental State Examination scores at or below the screening cut point, the HR was 1.77 (95% CI, 0.74-4.23; P =.20) in the estrogen-alone trial and 2.19 (95% CI, 1.25-3.84; P =.006) in the pooled trials. In the estrogen-alone trial, 76 participants were diagnosed with MCI in the CEE group vs 58 in the placebo group (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.95-1.89). In the combined trial data, the HR was similar (1.25; 95% CI, 0.97-1.60). In the estrogen-alone trial, 93 participants receiving CEE were diagnosed with either probable dementia or MCI vs 69 receiving placebo (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.89; P =.04). CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen therapy alone did not reduce dementia or MCI incidence and increased the risk for both end points combined. Pooling data for estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin resulted in increased risks for both end points. Use of hormone therapy to prevent dementia or cognitive decline in women 65 years of age or older is not recommended.

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PubMed2004

Relationship of social support and social burden to repeated breast cancer screening in the women's health initiative.

Direct and interactive effects of social support, social burden (caregiving, negative life events, and social strain), education, and income on repeated use of breast cancer screening among a large (N=55,278), national sample of postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative observational study were examined. Repeated screening decreased as emotional/informational support and positive social interactions decreased (ps<.01). Repeated mammography decreased with frequent caregiving (p<.01). Less social strain reduced the frequency of repeated breast self-examinations (BSEs; ps<.01), but frequent caregiving and more negative life events increased repeated use of BSE (ps<.01). Interactive effects suggested that emotional/informational but not tangible support is associated with repeated mammography and clinical breast examinations (ps<.01) and may be particularly important among low-income older women, especially those burdened by caregiving.

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PubMed2003

Effect of estrogen plus progestin on global cognitive function in postmenopausal women: the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Observational studies have suggested that postmenopausal hormone treatment may improve cognitive function, but data from randomized clinical trials have been sparse and inconclusive. The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) is an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy trials. On July 8, 2002, the estrogen plus progestin therapy in the WHI trial was discontinued because of certain increased health risks for women. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether estrogen plus progestin therapy protects global cognitive function in older postmenopausal women. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, WHIMS is an ancillary study of geographically diverse, community-dwelling women aged 65 years or older from 39 of 40 clinical centers within the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial that started in June 1995. Of 4894 eligible postmenopausal women aged 65 years or older and free of probable dementia at baseline, 4532 (92.6%) were enrolled in the estrogen plus progestin component of WHIMS. A total of 4381 participants (96.7%) provided at least 1 valid cognitive function score between June 1995 and July 8, 2002. INTERVENTIONS: Participants received either 1 daily tablet containing 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen with 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (n = 2145) or matching placebo (n = 2236). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Global cognitive function measured annually with the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination. RESULTS: The Modified Mini-Mental State Examination mean total scores in both groups increased slightly over time (mean follow-up of 4.2 years). Women in the estrogen plus progestin group had smaller average increases in total scores compared with women receiving placebo (P =.03), but these differences were not clinically important. Removing women by censoring them after adjudicated dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or stroke, and nonadherence to study protocol, did not alter the findings. Prior hormone therapy use and duration of prior use did not affect the interpretation of the results, nor did timing of prior hormone therapy initiation with respect to the final menstrual period. More women in the estrogen plus progestin group had a substantial and clinically important decline (> or =2 SDs) in Modified Mini-Mental State Examination total score (6.7%) compared with the placebo group (4.8%) (P =.008). CONCLUSIONS: Among postmenopausal women aged 65 years or older, estrogen plus progestin did not improve cognitive function when compared with placebo. While most women receiving estrogen plus progestin did not experience clinically relevant adverse effects on cognition compared with placebo, a small increased risk of clinically meaningful cognitive decline occurred in the estrogen plus progestin group.

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PubMed2003

Frequency and predictive value of a mammographic recommendation for short-interval follow-up.

BACKGROUND: A recommendation for short-interval follow-up of "probably benign finding" is associated with up to 11% of screening mammograms, but its predictive value for breast cancer is unclear. We examined the predictive values (i.e., the percentage of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer 2 years after a short-interval follow-up recommendation) and likelihood ratios (derived from the pretest and post-test odds of breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative sample) for breast cancer that are associated with a recommendation for short-interval follow-up among postmenopausal women. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal analysis of a prospective cohort of 68 126 postmenopausal women (aged 50-79 years) who were participating in clinical trials as part of the Women's Health Initiative at 40 centers across the United States. Eligible participants had screening mammograms at baseline and at least 2 years of follow-up that included a repeat mammography. Outcomes measured were breast cancer events at 1 and 2 years after baseline and the results of subsequent mammograms. All P values were two-sided. RESULTS: A total of 2927 (5%) of the 58 408 eligible women had baseline mammograms that included recommendations for short-interval follow-up. The incidence of breast cancer for women with a short-interval follow-up recommendation was 1.0% at 2 years after the baseline mammogram compared with breast cancer incidences of 0.6% and 0.5% for women whose baseline mammograms were described as "benign" and "negative," respectively. Across the 40 participating centers, the prevalence of short-interval follow-up recommendations among baseline mammograms varied from 1.2% to 9.8% (P<.001), even when the analysis was adjusted for key variables in regression models. Centers reporting higher frequencies of such recommendations did not have lower positive predictive values for breast cancer than centers reporting lower frequencies. The likelihood ratio for breast cancer after a recommendation for short-interval follow-up on a subsequent mammogram was 2.20 (95% confidence interval = 1.65 to 2.86). CONCLUSION: Having a mammographic recommendation for short-interval follow-up was associated with a low positive predictive value for breast cancer among postmenopausal women during a 2-year follow-up. This result suggests that the current criteria for this recommendation-repeat mammography within 6 months-should be reconsidered.

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PubMed2002

Effectiveness of telephone counseling for mammography: results from five randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Women over age 50 continue to be underscreened for breast cancer. The purpose of this report is to compare the effectiveness of a barrier-specific telephone counseling intervention across the five study sites of the Breast Cancer Screening Consortium (BCSC). METHODS: Each of the BCSC projects was a randomized study of the effectiveness of telephone counseling (TC) in comparison to a control condition. Eligible underusers were identified and surveyed by telephone before and after the implementation of the interventions. Data from a total of 3,461 underusers were analyzed. We tested whether significantly more women randomized to TC than to control were regular mammography users at the follow-up survey. Data were analyzed separately by site. RESULTS: Overall, TC was not significantly more effective than control in encouraging regular mammography. The pooled consortium-wide odds ratio was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.91 to 1.27). CONCLUSIONS: TC has the potential to support maintenance of mammogram use. Modifications are needed to maximize this potential and additional methods should be used in conjunction with TC to reach women who are underusers of mammography.

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PubMed2002

Effectiveness of women's telephone counseling and physician education to improve mammography screening among women who underuse mammography.

The effect on women's breast cancer screening utilization of a barrier-specific telephone counseling (BSTC) intervention, with and without a concurrent continuing medical education (CME) activity for their physicians, was evaluated. All participants (50-80 years of age) were not regular mammography users at baseline. A 4-arm quasi-experimental design was employed. Women were randomized to the BSTC or no BSTC group and assigned (with their physicians) to the CME or no CME group based on place of residence. Pre- and postintervention data were obtained for 1,601 women using telephone interviews conducted during 1995 and 1998, respectively. Among women who had ever used mammography at baseline, those who received BSTC were more likely than the control group to become regular mammography users at follow-up (OR = 1.4, p = .033). Greater reductions in perceived barriers to mammography, from baseline to follow-up, were significantly associated with receiving BSTC compared with the control group (p = .001), among women with previous mammography experience. Findings suggest that CME may have potential for initiating mammography use among women who never had a previous mammogram. However, because of the small sample available for analyses of the CME intervention and differential attrition among women who never had a previous mammogram, further study is needed to confirm this hypothesis.

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PubMed2002

Perceptions of risk factors for breast cancer and attitudes toward mammography among women who are current, ex- and non-smokers.

Understanding risk perceptions for breast cancer among women smokers is important because smokers tend to underutilize breast cancer screening. Perceptions of the relative importance of a variety of factors which may increase breast cancer risk and the benefits/barriers of mammography, were examined among women who were current (n = 185), ex- (n = 632) and never (n = 623) smokers. Participants were a subset of women taking part in a project to increase mammography utilization among women aged 50 and over. Current smokers, but not ex-smokers, were significantly less likely than never smokers to agree that health risk behaviors most frequently seen in smokers (e.g., smoking cigarettes, high-fat diet, low intake of fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, drinking alcohol) may increase risk for breast cancer. Current smokers, but not ex-smokers, perceived more barriers and fewer benefits of mammography, than never smokers.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical breast examination: practical recommendations for optimizing performance and reporting.

Clinical breast examination (CBE) seeks to detect breast abnormalities or evaluate patient reports of symptoms to find palpable breast cancers at an earlier stage of progression. Treatment options for earlier-stage cancers are generally more numerous, include less toxic alternatives, and are usually more effective than treatments for later-stage cancers. For average-risk women aged 40 and younger, earlier detection of palpable tumors identified by CBE can lead to earlier therapy. After age 40, when mammography is recommended, CBE is regarded as an adjunct to mammography. Recent debate, however, has questioned the contributions of CBE to the detection of breast cancer in asymptomatic women and particularly to improved survival and reduced mortality rates. Clinicians remain widely divided about the level of evidence supporting CBE and their confidence in the examination. Yet, CBE is practiced extensively in the United States and continues to be recommended by many leading health organizations. It is in this context that this report provides a brief review of evidence for CBE's role in the earlier detection of breast cancer, highlights current practice issues, and presents recommendations that, when implemented, could contribute to greater standardization of the practice and reporting of CBE. These recommendations may also lead to improved evidence of the nature and extent of CBE's contribution to the earlier detection of breast cancer.

Breast Diseases↗