Breast cancer screening: review of history and current status in western developed countries

Breast cancer is one of the main diseases which is a serious threat to women’s health. The morbidity of breast cancer in China is increasing. The mortality associated with breast cancer is decreasing in western developed countries. There are various reasons for these trends, including an increase in detection of early-stage breast cancer due to increased use of mammographic screening and the establishment of standardized systemic programs based on evidence-based medicine. This review assesses the history of breast cancer screening in western developed countries, clinical utility of available screening modalities and other pertinent issues to provide some evidence for developing a breast cancer screening strategy for Chinese women. DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2015.55.746