The Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP) Follow-up Study

Lead Contact and/or Principal Investigator (PI):

• Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.
  Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG)
  National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Gretchen Gierach, Ph.D., M.P.H.
  DCEG, NCI

Funded Since: 1980
Funding Source: NCI Intramural Program (DCEG) and the American Cancer Society
Year(s) of Enrollment: 1980

Study subjects were participants in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP), a breast cancer screening program conducted between 1973 and 1980. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the NCI, the BCDDP provided up to five annual breast examinations to 283,222 women at 29 screening centers in 27 cities throughout the United States. A follow-up study of a subset of the BCDDP participants (n = 64,182) was begun by the NCI in 1980. It included all participants who received a diagnosis of breast cancer during the five-year screening program, all who underwent breast surgery during the screening program with no indication of malignancy, all who had recommendations by the Project for a surgical consultation, but did not have either a biopsy or aspiration performed, and a sample of women who had neither surgery nor recommendation for surgical consultation during screening participation.

The follow-up study was conducted in four phases, the last of which was carried out between 1995 and 1998. Information on all cancer diagnoses, mortality, and a variety of exposures, including exogenous hormone use, adolescent and adult diet, physical activity, body weight, and occupation was collected over the four phases of the follow-up study. Mortality is being updated through 2005.