Update: National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program--July 1991-September 1995.

During the 1990s, breast or cervical cancer will be diagnosed in an estimated 2 million women in the United States, and 500,000 will die as a result of these diseases. Screening mammography followed by timely and appropriate treatment can reduce breast cancer mortality by 30% for women aged 50-69 years, and routine use of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test followed by timely and appropriate treatment can prevent nearly all deaths from cervical cancer. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990 established a nationwide, comprehensive public health program for increasing access to breast and cervical cancer screening services for underserved women. This report summarizes the impact of this initiative, CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), during July 1991-September 1995.