Researchers from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health have found that in spite of the high rates of screening mammography in the Hispanic women, nearly two-third breast cancer cases, out of 230 cases, among these women were 'accidental' discoveries, resulting from self-detection.

The new research - being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, in Carefree, Arizona - revealed that though screening mammography rates among U. S.-born and non-U. S.-born Hispanic women were 83 percent and 62 percent respectively, only 23 percent cases were revealed through a mammography and 6 percent through a clinical test.

Even though Hispanic women appear to be less prone to breast cancer than whites, blacks and Asians, they also have less favorable prospects largely because they do not go in for routine mammogram or tests, and the treatment gets delayed.

According to Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Chairwoman, Komen Foundation National Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, "Hispanic women are not getting more breast cancer than other women, but they're less likely to survive as long. The reason is they're diagnosed at a later stage of the cancer."

It has been observed that Hispanic women fail to take advantage of the free breast health screenings, because they are not aware of the facilities at hand. Since most of these women speak only Spanish, announcements of preventive measures in English do not hit home! (Harkiran contributed to this report)