ABSTRACT
Breast screening is defined as the routine invitation of eligible asymptomatic women for mammography at regular intervals in order to detect breast cancer. Mammography is the primary imaging modality usually employed in breast screening programmes. The aim of breast screening is to reduce mortality by detecting breast cancer at an early stage when any changes in the breast are often too small to detect by self-examination, and to allow reduction of aggressive treatments while minimising potential side effects for the screened population. Breast screening by mammography has been thoroughly investigated and documented worldwide since its widespread introduction in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Digital mammography has a similar sensitivity but greater specificity than conventional film mammography. The majority of women do not have breast cancer and are notified by post that their mammograms are normal.
