Story Behind the Curve: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Connecticut women, accounting for almost 1 in 7 cancer deaths. The age-standardized mortality rate of breast cancer has been in significant decline for almost 4 decades, falling from 38 deaths per 100,000 women in 1975 to 18 deaths per 100,000 women in 2016. Breast cancer mortality rates are decreasing for several reasons, including improvement in treatment for breast cancer and detection of breast cancers at an earlier more treatable stage due to screening mammography.

Date of next data update: Aug 15th, 2024

Potential Partners

• Connecticut Department of Social Services
• Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Connecticut State Department of Education
• Office of the Healthcare Advocate
• Hospitals
• Local public health agencies
• Federally-qualified health centers
• Health care providers including oncology nurses and oncologists
• Visiting nurses associations
• Health care providers of palliative and hospice care
• Radiology facilities
• Health professional associations
• Health insurers
• American Cancer Society
• Connecticut Cancer Partnership
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Patient advocates
• Schools of public health, allied health, nursing, and medicine
• Community-based organizations
• Faith-based organizations

Early detection of breast cancer through mammography screening has been determined to reduce mortality. A woman should consult with her physician to determine what screening interval is appropriate for her situation.

To ensure that all women who are age-appropriate receive the needed screening services, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends:

• evidence-based client reminder systems
• small media targeted at specific populations in selected geographic locations
• group education
• one-on-one education
• reducing structural barriers that prevent women from getting mammograms
• reducing client out-of-pocket costs
• evidence-based health care provider reminder systems
• evidence-based health care provider assessment and feedback systems

Potential Strategies

• Conduct public education and outreach initiatives to educate all women about the advantages of screening, as well as risks and how to access screening services
• Collaborate with large health systems to implement evidence-based client reminder systems, and provider assessment and feedback systems to improve referrals for mammograms
• Utilize community health workers to conduct one-on-one and group education about the importance of breast cancer screening at regular intervals, to assist with reducing structural barriers, and to provide support during treatment
• Utilize clinical health navigators to provide care coordination and patient navigation services to help all women with positive results get appropriate follow-up care, to assist with reducing structural barriers related to that follow-up care, and to provide support during treatment
• Collaborate with partners to increase availability of no-cost or low-cost mammograms, and funding resources for treatment costs