BREAST CANCER SCREENING IN THE WORKPLACE : A VIABLE COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO SAVE LIVES

Background: Breast cancer is a worldwide public health concern. Breast cancer now ranks first not only in the industrialized world but also in the developing world. In the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. In the past fifty years, a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer more than tripled in the United States, to one in seven today. This trend parallels a staggering increase of chemicals in the environment. Given the increasing number of women in the workforce, it is possible that increases in breast cancer incidence may be caused by occupational exposure.Methods: Application of literature review results of breast cancer risk factors and screening efforts at workplaces to determine the cost-benefit analyses for applications in an occupational medicine practice.Results: Review of epidemiologic studies on suspected environmental risk factors for breast cancer shows that at risk populations can readily be found in the workplace. Effective screening efforts by occupational medicine physicians can reduce mortality in the workforce. Although, conclusions drawn here are limited, it is advisable to develop national policies to reduce chemical exposures that may be associated with breast cancer.Conclusions: Occupational physicians may be an important and appropriate healthcare provider with the opportunity to screen on at risk population, (workforce- female from 18- 65) and influence a wide range of well established and suspected environmental risk factors for breast cancer by incorporating prevention into occupational medicine clinic visits. Mammography and the clinical breast exam have a potential to detect suspicious lesions and may be implemented in occupational medicine clinics. Integrating screening into pre-employment or periodic examinations would expend minimal time and reasonable expenses while potentially preventing worker mortality. The integration of breast cancer screening into occupational medicine may simultaneously improve worker health and increase the value of the occupational medicine physician