Many American women are not having mammograms-X-rays that screen for breast cancer-because they do not know about the procedure, have no apparent problems or do not think they need them, reveals preliminary results of a National Cancer Institute survey.
Older women especially seem to be lax about being tested, the survey shows, though they are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
In the survey, 62 percent of women 40 years or older say they never have had a breast X-ray to detect cancer, and 17 percent say they never knew that such a test is available.
Only 6.5 percent of women 40 or older had a mammogram in the last year, the survey indicates. The federal health authorities recommend that all women should be tested at least once every two years after the age of 40 and annually after 50.
The survey, which involved 3,297 women, also shows that about 25 percent of women 18 or older have not had a Pap smear to detect cervical cancer in the last three years, although the institute recommends more frequent tests unless a doctor specifically indicates otherwise.
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. Officials estimate that 135,000 people will develop breast cancer in 1988 and 42,000 people will die of it. The earlier the cancer is detected, the greater the chance of survival.
