Unemployment and the likelihood of detecting early-stage breast cancer.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that unexpectedly high unemployment in a community is associated with reduced odds that registered breast tumors are local.

Methods: The hypothesis was tested with data from San Francisco for the 132 months beginning with January 1983.

Results: Registered breast tumors were less likely to be local during periods of unexpectedly high unemployment (8% less likely among non-Hispanic White women and 24% less likely among African-American women).

Conclusions: Job loss may restrict access to health services. Fear of job loss may also distract women from breast self-examination and the identification of suspicious breast signs.