Breast screening programmes

The breast screening program is where mammography is carried out in asymptomatic women for the improved detection of breast cancer.

Each country/state has its own program and some are listed as below (accurate as of Dec 2010).

• Australia: primarily targeted at women between 50-74 every two years while women over 40 years are also eligible free of charge (www.cancerscreening.gov.au)
  • Western Australia: www.breastscreen.health.wa.gov.au/home
  • Victoria: www.breastscreen.org.au
  • New South Wales: www.bsnsw.org.au
  • Tasmania: BreastScreen Tasmania
• Brazil: offered to women between 50-69 years of age every two years free of charge (www.inca.gov.br)
• Canada
  • British Columbia: offered to women between 40-79 every two years free of charge (www.bccancer.bc.ca)
• Ireland: offered to women between 50-64 years of age every 2 years free of charge (www.breastcheck.ie)
• New Zealand: offered to women between 45-69 every 2 years free of charge (http://nsu.govt.nz)
• Singapore: offered to women over 50 at subsidised cost every 2 years and women between 40-49 are encouraged to have an informed choice with option to join (www.hpb.gov.sg )
• United Arab Emirates: offered to women over 40 years every two years (www.moh.gov.ae)
• United Kingdom: offered to women between 50-70 every 3 years with provision to expand the age limit to 47-73 (http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/index.html)
• Italy: offered to women between 50-69 every 2 years free of charge (http://www.osservatorionazionalescreening.it/)