Lydia Pace, M.D., MPH

研究概况

Black women in the United States are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer compared to white women, largely because they are often diagnosed at later stages, experience more aggressive tumors and receive suboptimal treatment. To address these racial disparities, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in May 2024 lowered its age recommendation to begin breast cancer screening from 50 to 40 years old.

The USPSTF hypothesized lowering the age that women receive their first mammogram would improve outcomes for Black women specifically, who are at greater risk of developing breast cancer before age 50. But it is unclear whether this approach will benefit Black women and whether increased demand for screening mammograms will impact access to these services.

To study the impact of the USPSTF guidelines change, we will:

• Use insurance claims data from a large commercial insurer in Massachusetts to examine differences by race and ethnicity of women in their 40s who received mammograms, before and after the policy change.
• Determine if the proportion of women ages 40-49 receiving mammograms changes after the guidelines, compared to women ages 50-59, and assess differences in the impact of the guidelines by race and ethnicity.
• Analyze the time it took for women with breast concerns to receive needed diagnostic evaluation before and after the USPSTF recommendations and determine if there were any differences between Black and white women.

My “Why”

I am a primary care physician and researcher interested in advancing quality and equity of health care, especially women’s preventive services. There are so many opportunities to improve delivery of cancer screening, particularly for medically underserved populations who face a greater likelihood of dying from cancer in the United States. This is particularly true for breast cancer screening. I am interested in understanding how to optimize early detection of breast cancer for better outcomes.

为什么资金如此重要

Support [from the Prevent Cancer Foundation] will allow us to conduct research on a very new topic—the impact of updated 2024 breast cancer screening guidelines—and specifically, how these have changed access to breast imaging for women at increased risk. This work will help advance understanding of optimal screening guidelines and how to translate these guidelines into health practice to advance health equity.