A comparison of the performance and impact of breast cancer screening programmes in East Anglia, U.K. and Bouches du Rhône, France.
The purpose of this study was to compare results from the first screening round of two breast cancer screening programmes of similar design implemented in different health care settings. The East Anglian programme is part of the U.K. National Health Service Breast Screening Programme, which is a centralised programme with a limited number of dedicated screening units. The Bouches du Rhône programme is one of 13 French programmes based on a decentralised model using existing radiology clinics. Compliance and cancer detection rates were lower in the Bouches du Rhône programme. Detection rates for small invasive cancers (< or = 10 mm) were similar in the two programmes, although larger cancers (> or = 20 mm) were detected in the Bouches du Rhône programme. Significantly, the shift towards more favourable distribution of prognostic characteristics associated with screen-detected breast cancers compared with those arising outside the programme is less marked in the Bouches du Rhône programme. This is probably due to the more favourable underlying disease status in the district resulting from a long history of breast awareness and spontaneous mammography.
McCann
J
J
Department of Community Medicine, University of Cambridge, U.K.
Wait
S
S
Séradour
B
B
Day
N
N
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care