Potential Benefits and Risks of Mammograms

	Does race affect the ability to identify the presence of breast cancer on mammograms?
	No. Mammograms appear to miss a similar percentage of breast cancers (20-30%) in Caucasian, African American, Chinese and Filipina women. Although mammograms can find most invasive breast cancers, they miss some, and the percentage missed is higher in women less than age 50 than women aged 50 and older, regardless of race.

References:
Gill KS, Yankaskas B. Screening mammography performance and cancer detection among black women and white women in community practice.
Cancer. 2004;100:139-48

Kerlikowske K, Creasman J, Leung J, Smith-Bindman R, Ernster VL. Differences in screening mammography outcomes among white and Asian women. Arch Intern Med 2005;165:1862-68

Potential Benefits & Risks of Mammograms