Outcomes of a Community-based Breast Cancer Screening Program in Baltimore City

Introduction. African American women have disproportionately high breast cancer (BC) mortality in comparison with White women. Early BC detection rates are lower in African American women than White women, reflecting sub-optimal use of screening mammography particularly among women who are uninsured. Methods. A descriptive analysis of a community-based, cancer control program targeted at uninsured African Americans is presented. Program outcomes and correlates of program retention and BC detection are summarized. Results. Data for 5,669 enrollees and 10,357 mammograms were analyzed. Breast cancer was diagnosed in 113 women, 69% at an early stage. The majority (72%) of BC cases were diagnosed during the initial program cycle. The strongest correlates of program retention were non-Hispanic ethnicity and prior mammography (p<.0001). Discussion. This community-based cancer control program provided an early BC detection benefit to enrollees regardless of whether program services were conducted for only one cycle or were continued at regular intervals.