American Statistical Association New York City Metropolitan Area Chapter Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Biostatistics Seminar

This work presents a methodology for piecing together disparate data sources to obtain a comprehensive model for the use of mammography screening in the U.S. population between the years 1975-2000. Two aspects of mammography usage, the age when a woman receives her first mammogram and the intervals between subsequent mammograms, are modeled separately. The initial dissemination of mammography is modeled using cross-sectional self report data from national surveys and repeat mammography usage is modeled using longitudinal mammography registry data. The two aspects of mammography usage are combined through simulation to generate screening histories for individual women that are representative of the U.S. population. Modeling results are compared to observed screening rates for the state of Vermont and self reported screening rates from national surveys. The comprehensive description of mammography use from its introduction is used as a key input to estimate the impact of mammography on breast cancer mortality.