ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION The incidence of breast carcinoma in western countries represents the highest percentage (25 to 30%) of the different cancers in women and accounts for 18 to 20% of all cancer deaths (an example is given in Fig. 1). Table 1 gives the number of new cases per year and the corresponding mortality rate in various countries. A significantly high ratio of incidence/mortality is to be noted in the United Kingdom. A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer during her lifetime is 1 in 8 in the United States, 1 in 12 in the European Community, and 1 in 80 in Japan. Although most breast cancers are manifest in the postmenopausal period (about two-thirds of the total), a significant number are nevertheless found in young women.
