The number of women age 50 or older participating in breast cancer screening for the first time continues to grow in Singapore, according to a 26 September article in the Strait Times.
The number of women who underwent their first mammography screening exam was 6,550 in 2014 and 8,598 in 2016, with an annual increase of roughly 1,000 exams, based on data from the Singapore Ministry of Health's Health Promotion Board.
However, the percentage of individuals returning for a second mammogram still remains low, the article noted. The participation rates rose only slightly, from 13.6% in 2016 to 18% in 2017 and in 2018.
"For any health screening to be effective, it cannot be a one-off event," Dr. Chan Ching Wan from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) said in a statement. "Regular breast screening in particular is important because it allows for early detection of most breast cancers, and we know that treatment of early stage breast cancer has far better outcomes."
