Empowered by Data: Uncovering Screening Disparities and Reducing Breast Cancer Risk

October 21, 2025

Matt Flory

American Cancer Society

Jess Donovan, MPH, BSN

MN Community Measurement

This October marks the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Fortunately, however, early detection through screening and advances in treatment have decreased mortality by 44% since 1989. Screening can catch cancer early, when it is easier to treat. When caught early, the five-year survival rate is approximately 99% compared to 32% when caught in the later stages. 1 Despite these findings, significant racial disparities exist in both breast cancer screening and mortality. In Minnesota, although the incidence of breast cancer is higher in white women, breast cancer mortality is highest among American Indian and African American women. 2  

Measure Definitions

The Breast Cancer Screening measure that is the focus of October’s infographic is stewarded by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The data are aggregated and reported to MN Community Measurement (MNCM) by health plans across the state.

For the 2023 measurement year, the measure is defined as the percentage of women between the ages of 50 and 74 who received a mammogram in the past two years. 3

What the Data Shows

MNCM’s data show that 75.8% of Minnesota women between the ages of 50 and 74 received a mammogram within the last two years in 2023. However, screening is not equal across the population. Approximately 58% of women with MHCP insurance received a mammogram in 2023, compared to 80% of women with either commercial or Medicare coverage. Persistent disparities exist even within the MHCP population, where, over the last three years, Black and Indigenous/Native women have significantly lower rates of screening compared to the MHCP average.

Social Determinants of Health & Breast Cancer

Social determinants of health such as access to transportation, health insurance coverage, and the cost of health care can create significant barriers to both breast cancer screening and treatment for certain populations.  Addressing these social determinants of health is essential for developing breast cancer screening programs, interventions, and policies that target populations most in need of improved outcomes. This  interactive dashboard  from MDH illustrates how selected social determinants of health impact both breast cancer burden (incidence and mortality) and screening rates in Minnesota. This tool is designed to support program planning, decision making, and resource allocation. The resource section at the end of this page includes links to additional data sources, as well as background information on social determinants of health.

Understanding Risk Factors

Some risk factors for breast cancer are things you cannot change, such as getting older or inheriting certain gene changes. These make your risk of breast cancer higher. But certain breast cancer risk factors can be modifiable and are related to personal behaviors, and include:

  • Physical activity: Evidence is growing that regular physical activity reduces breast cancer risk, especially in women past menopause. The main question is how much activity is needed. Some studies have found that even as little as a couple of hours a week might be helpful, although more seems to be better. Exactly how physical activity might reduce breast cancer risk isn’t clear, but it may be due to its effects on body weight, inflammation, and hormone levels.
  • Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol is another modifiable risk factor that is clearly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. 4 The risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Women who have 1 alcoholic drink a day have a small (about 7% to 10%) increase in risk compared with those who don’t drink, while women who have 2 to 3 drinks a day have about a 20% higher risk.

Other lifestyle-related risk factors include decisions about having children and taking medicines that contain hormones.  You can learn more about risk factors by visiting the American Cancer Society website. 

Why This Matters

While significant progress has been made in both the screening and treatment of breast cancer in the last decade, there is still more work to do. A collaborative and culturally tailored effort from health care providers, payers, community organizers, and local public health is essential to address the disparities and barriers that persist in breast cancer screening.

Resources

  • ACS CancerRisk360 Assessment : Assessment tool from the American Cancer Society to learn more about what you can change to improve your health and lower your cancer risk.
  • African American Breast Cancer Alliance : Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing culturally tailored education, resources, advocacy, and support for Black individuals and families affected by breast cancer.
  • American Indian Cancer Foundation : National, Native-governed nonprofit dedicated to eliminating cancer disparities among Indigenous people by improving access to prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivor support.
  • Breast Cancer Education Association : Volunteer-run Minnesota nonprofit that provides information, support, and resources for those affected by breast cancer.
  • Breast Cancer GAPS Project : Nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing breast cancer disparities among Black women by partnering with communities and providers to ensure equitable care.
  • MDH Sage Program : Information on access to breast cancer screening for low-income or uninsured Minnesotans.
  • National Breast Cancer Roundtable : National coalition of member organizations established by the American Cancer Society dedicated to ensuring that everyone understands breast cancer risk and screening and has access to timely, high-quality, and compassionate care.

Sources 

  1. American Cancer Society (2018). Breast Cancer Statistics. Retrieved from https://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org/types/breast
  2. Minnesota Department of Health (2020). Breast cancer disparities in Minnesota women. Retrieved from https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/mcrs/docs/breastfs.pdf
  3. National Committee for Quality Assurance. Breast Cancer Screening (BCS). Retrieved from https://www.ncqa.org/report-cards/health-plans/state-of-health-care-quality-report/breast-cancer-screening-bcs/
  4. American Cancer Society (2025). Alcohol Use and Cancer. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/diet-physical-activity/alcohol-use-and-cancer.html

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — October 20, 2026 — MN Community Measurement (MNCM) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Koble-MN's health information exchange (HIE) business line and the MNSHINE brand from The Koble Group. On November 1, MNCM will officially change its legal name to Minnesota Statewide Health Information Network and Exchange, known as MNSHINE. The transition follows a special joint meeting of MNCM's Board of Directors and members on October 12, at which the Board unanimously approved resolutions authorizing the acquisition, changing the organization's legal name, and establishing a new HIE Advisory Committee. Members unanimously adopted the name change and related amendments to the organization's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. An intentional decision to collaborate The transition is the result of an intentional decision by Minnesota health care leaders to collaborate on a health data landscape that makes sense: one that reduces redundancy, increases efficiency, and delivers needed information to those with legal authorization to receive it, where and when it is needed, without unnecessary administrative barriers. "This is not simply a merger of services. It is a deliberate choice to build the kind of health data infrastructure Minnesota deserves," said Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO of MNCM. "For too long, organizations across our state have had to navigate duplicative systems and disconnected data. By bringing measurement and exchange together, we can reduce that burden and make sure the right information reaches the right people at the right time, with patient privacy protections firmly in place, so they can focus on improving care." The effort builds on months of work by the Executive Leadership Council, convened earlier this year by MNCM, the Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium, and Koble to explore how a sustainable, statewide health data utility could serve the public interest. "Minnesota is at its best when we take on difficult challenges together and align on solutions," said Mark Steffen, MD, Chair of the MNCM Board of Directors. "The Board's unanimous support reflects a shared conviction that our future depends on organizations keeping their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. That balance is what enables greater coordination, transparency, efficiency, and impact." A trusted backbone for Minnesota's health data Minnesota's future health data ecosystem is one in which organizations retain their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. The vision for MNSHINE is to become the health data utility, governed in the public interest with strong privacy protections and transparency, that serves as the trusted backbone connecting these efforts, ensuring data can be used more effectively to improve health, wellbeing, and outcomes for all Minnesotans. By bringing the measurement of health care quality, cost, and utilization together with the infrastructure that moves clinical data between organizations, MNSHINE will be positioned to support providers, payers, public health, researchers, policymakers, and communities alike, each within the limits of applicable law and participant agreements. The goal is healthier people, stronger communities, greater equity, better public decisions, smarter investments, and a health system that learns continuously. Continuity for HIE participants HIE services will continue without interruption. To ensure continuity of leadership and relationships, Chad Peterson, CEO of The Koble Group, has joined MNCM as Senior Vice President of HIE Services. “For HIE participants, this transition opens new possibilities,” said Peterson. “When exchange and measurement are guided by one mission, we can reduce duplication for providers and better support care coordination, while holding firm to the privacy protections patients expect. I’m proud to help lead that work, and I’m committed to making sure every participant feels supported as we grow.” MNCM has also established the HIE Advisory Committee as a standing committee of its Board of Directors. The committee continues the work of the Koble-MN Advisory Committee and will advise the Board on interoperability, participant relationships, privacy, security, data governance, and health equity. 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