COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DETECTING BREAST-CANCER IN LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC WOMEN THROUGH MOBILE MAMMOGRAPHY SERVICES

Lower socioeconomic status African American and Hispanic women suffer from later-stage detection of breast cancer and higher mortality rates than other American women. Low-cost mobile mammography offers one app roach to mitigate this problem. This article identifies the economic c osts and cost-effectiveness of operating a mobile mammography program targeting indigent populations. Costs are derived from a current mobil e mammography service for a range of operating volume conditions and a re applied to different detection rates to determine the cost-effectiv eness of programs designed to reach different age, racial, and ethnic segments of indigent populations. Results from this work have broad po licy implications and form a foundation for future economic and policy analysis in this area.