Breast Cancer in Oregon
2010 Findings from Making the Grade on Women’s Health:
A National and State-by-State Report Card
Grade: Satisfactory Minus
Rank: 21st
The fifth edition of Making the Grade on Women’s Health: A National and Stateby-State Report Card uses the Healthy People 2010 as a benchmark to rank and
grade each state on key health indicators. The most recent Report Card finds
that only ten states and the District of Columbia received an “unsatisfactory”
or “failing” grade on the breast cancer death rate indicator. The Healthy
People 2020 goal of reducing the number of deaths from breast cancer to 20.6
deaths per 100,000 people has Oregon coming in line at 23.0, ranking 21st in
the country.
Breast cancer occurrences among women in Oregon have declined since 2007.

The American Cancer Society projects that 3,310 women in Oregon will be
diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and an expected 490 women with
breast cancer will die.

In spite of improvement since 2007, breast cancer is still the most
frequently diagnosed form of cancer and the second highest cause of
cancer-related death in women.
Mammography contributes to early detection and saves lives.

In Oregon, 76% of women age 40 and older have had a mammogram within the
past two years, earning the state a “satisfactory” grade and ranking 25th
in the country.

Oregon requires private insurers to cover annual mammograms and breast
cancer screening.

Many women, particularly those who are uninsured, low income, or members
of certain racial and ethnic minority groups do not get mammograms.

Mammography is the single most effective method of early detection and
can identify breast cancer several years before the appearance of
physical symptoms; early detection of breast cancer greatly increases
treatment options, the chances for successful treatment, and survival.
The Affordable Care Act’s “essential health benefits” may mandate coverage for
breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

A federal law was passed in 1998 to counter insurance companies’ claim
that “cosmetic” surgery (breast reconstruction) is not medically
necessary.

Some states require private insurance plans to cover breast
reconstruction surgery; Oregon earns a “meets policy” on this indicator,
providing broader coverage of reconstructive breast surgery following a
mastectomy than is required by federal law.

States can mandate that insurance companies allow physicians, in
consultation with their patients, to determine how long a woman stays in
the hospital following a mastectomy, based on the patient’s individual
needs and circumstances. This mandate prevents insurance companies from
placing harmful restrictions on a hospital stay in connection with a
mastectomy; Oregon currently has no such policy mandate.
Making the Grade on Women’s Health: A National and State-by-State Report Card is a project of
the National Women’s Law Center and Oregon Health and Science University, which was developed
to improve women’s health by encouraging policy change at both the national and state levels.
It examines nearly 100 different health status and health policy indicators to provide the most
comprehensive assessment of women’s health to date.
For more information, see the complete 2010 Health Report Card findings on or after December 7, 2010 at:
http://hrc.nwlc.org or contact p4women@pdx.edu