States with lower breast cancer screening rates often report higher shares of breast cancers diagnosed at a regional or distant stage, according to U.S. Cancer Statistics data released in June by the CDC.
The CDC classifies breast cancer stage at diagnosis based on how far the disease has spread: Localized cancers remain in the breast, regional cancers have spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes and distant cancers have spread to other organs or distant lymph nodes. Regular breast cancer screening helps detect the disease before it spreads, when it is easier and less costly to treat, and reduces breast cancer deaths, according to the CDC.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer from 2016 to 2022 was 100% when the disease was localized, 87.5% when it was regional and 33.8% when it was distant.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut lead the nation in breast cancer screening, with rates ranging from 85.9% to 86.5% among women ages 50 to 74 who had a mammogram in the past two years, according to 2024 CDC data.
The same three states report some of the lowest shares of breast cancers diagnosed at a regional or distant stage, ranging from 25.2% to 26.6%, according to CDC data from 2019 to 2023.
In contrast, Wyoming had the lowest screening rate in 2024 at 69.1%, and 32.8% of breast cancers were diagnosed at a regional or distant stage from 2019 to 2023.
HHS’ Office on Women’s Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality launched an initiative Oct. 27 aimed at improving breast cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up for women in midlife.
The announcement follows the Oct. 21 introduction of the bipartisan SCREENS Act, which would direct HHS to create a national digital set of cancer screening and risk assessment guidelines that could be integrated into EHRs.
Here are breast cancer screening rates and the shares of breast cancers diagnosed at a regional or distant stage, by state:
| State | Screening rate | Regional or distant stage |
| Alabama | 77.9% | 29.5% |
| Alaska | 74.5% | 29.2% |
| Arizona | 76.4% | 30.4% |
| Arkansas | 74.3% | 30.6% |
| California | 77.4% | 32.2% |
| Colorado | 77.9% | 31.0% |
| Connecticut | 85.9% | 26.6% |
| Delaware | 82.0% | 29.0% |
| District of Columbia | 79.4% | 33.9% |
| Florida | 80.1% | 31.3% |
| Georgia | 78.6% | 33.9% |
| Hawaii | 82.9% | 28.7% |
| Idaho | 73.0% | 30.3% |
| Illinois | 79.4% | 31.8% |
| Indiana | 76.8% | 30.4% |
| Iowa | 80.0% | 29.8% |
| Kansas | 76.9% | 30.0% |
| Kentucky | 76.3% | 31.1% |
| Louisiana | 81.3% | 33.8% |
| Maine | 81.9% | 28.3% |
| Maryland | 82.3% | 31.7% |
| Massachusetts | 86.5% | 25.2% |
| Michigan | 81.6% | 29.8% |
| Minnesota | 83.1% | 28.1% |
| Mississippi | 77.5% | Not available |
| Missouri | 79.4% | 31.4% |
| Montana | 72.5% | 29.6% |
| Nebraska | 78.0% | 30.6% |
| Nevada | 76.5% | 26.7% |
| New Hampshire | 83.5% | 31.1% |
| New Jersey | 79.7% | 30.3% |
| New Mexico | 75.6% | 34.9% |
| New York | 81.3% | 28.9% |
| North Carolina | 81.7% | 29.8% |
| North Dakota | 77.8% | 29.6% |
| Ohio | 75.8% | 31.5% |
| Oklahoma | 74.2% | 33.2% |
| Oregon | 76.4% | 28.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 81.2% | 29.8% |
| Rhode Island | 86.5% | 25.7% |
| South Carolina | 80.0% | 30.9% |
| South Dakota | 72.9% | Not available |
| Tennessee | Not available | 31.3% |
| Texas | 76.1% | 33.6% |
| Utah | 74.2% | 33.9% |
| Vermont | 81.0% | 26.1% |
| Virginia | 77.7% | 29.9% |
| Washington | 76.3% | 30.6% |
| West Virginia | 77.7% | 31.1% |
| Wisconsin | 82.3% | 29.2% |
| Wyoming | 69.1% | 32.8% |
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