BETHESDA, Md., Oct 20, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- As many as 92 percent of late-stage breast cancer cases in the United States could've been diagnosed and treated if they had been screened earlier.

That is the finding of a study appearing in the Oct. 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers said increasing mammography screening rates and investment in research to improve breast cancer detection technologies should be top priorities for the healthcare system.

The study said the system should focus on recruiting women who have not been recently screened. The research was conducted by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Cancer Research Network, a consortium of integrated health plans.

The authors said to improve breast cancer outcomes, priority should be placed on reaching unscreened women and encouraging them to have mammograms - especially older, unmarried, less educated, and low income women.

"The good news is that there is a lot known about how to reach women who have never been screened or who fail to get regular mammograms," said Stephen Taplin, a senior scientist at NCI. "The challenge is to put this knowledge into practice."

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