Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant cancer in Australian women, with an estimated 13,384 new cases in 2008 and 2,719 deaths in 2005. Although much research has been conducted into all aspects of this disease, there is still no clear answer as to the cause of breast cancer and as yet no means for preventing the disease. A woman's risk of a first diagnosis of breast cancer before the age of 75 has increased from 1 in 16 in 1983 to 1 in 11 in 2005. The risk of diagnosis before the age of 85 has increased from 1 in 12 in 1983 to 1 in 9 in 2005. The risk of dying from breast cancer before the age of 75 decreased from 1 in 43 in 1983 to 1 in 59 in 2005.

Breast cancers can often be felt as lumps. The great majority of breast lumps are not cancer. However, any suspicious lump needs to be investigated. Breast cancer and other lumps are most often discovered by breast self-examination, clinical examination or a breast X-ray (mammogram).

Breast cancer screening

The main aim of population-based breast cancer screening is to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer. Mammography can detect small tumours before they are detectable by women or the most highly trained clinician. This is important as the survival of women is significantly improved by the early detection of breast cancer.

The Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit of the AIHW monitors and reports on the performance of the BreastScreen Australia Program. The latest publication, the BreastScreen Australia Monitoring Report 2004-2005, was released in June, 2008. The reason for the delay in publication is to measure the numbers of interval cancers which are cancers which emerge during the two years following screening.

In alternate years the report is provided as a printed copy, and also made available electronically. This report as well as the previous reports can be accessed through our Publications portal.

BreastScreen Australia Program

BreastScreen Australia provides free mammographic screening every two years. The Program is aimed specifically at women aged 50-69 years of age, although women aged 40-49 and 70 years and older are able to attend for screening. The following is some information about the level of participation, breast cancer detection and trends in BreastScreen Australia.

Participation

In 2004-2005, of the 1.6 million women screened by the BreastScreen Australia Program, just over 1.2 million (74%) were in the target age group (50-69 years). Participation among women in Australia in the target age group increased from 51.4% (age-standardised) in 1996-1997 to 56.2% in 2004-2005. This increase in participation was statistically significant.

Cancer detection

In 2005, BreastScreen Australia detected 3,680 invasive cancers (any size, all screening rounds) in women aged 40 and over. Of these cancers, 2,308 were small: 15 mm or less in size. This translates into a detection rate of 28 small cancers per 10,000 women screened. For cancers of all size the detection rate was 44 per 10,000 women screened.

 

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