[Evaluation of mass screening for breast cancer in the Somme district (France) between 1990 and 1996].
BACKGROUND
Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that screening by mammography can reduce breast cancer mortality by 30% in women aged 50 to 69 years. In France, pilot screening programs were begun in 1989 and particularly in the Somme district. After 6 years and two rounds, the aim of this study was to assess the quality and the effectiveness of this screening program.


METHODS
The quality of the campaign was measured concerning effectiveness (recall rate, positive predictive value of screening test or of the screening procedure, intervention rate, breast cancer detection rate) or quality (percentage of in situ cancers, invasive cancers smaller than 10 mm, invasive cancers without lymph node invasion). These indicators were compared with European targets.


RESULTS
Attendance rates at 6 years ranged from 33.6% to 37.1%. The recall rate was 14.3% in the first and 7.8% in the second round, 6.4 and 6 cancers were detected per 1,000 women screened during the first and second round, and 38.5% of invasive cancers were of 10 mm or less (27.4% during the first round) and 70.8% had no nodal involvement (68.3% during the first round).


CONCLUSIONS
Results from the screening system are variable yet satisfactory overall, due to the progressive implementation of quality assurance. However attendance rates remain low, whereas actual coverage is 64% in Somme district.
Ganry
O
O
Service d'Information Médicale, Hôpital Nord, CHU Amiens, France.
Peng
J
J
Dubreuil
A
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects