title: EMAS position statement: individualized breast cancer screening versus population-based mammography screening programmes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women, with slightly more than ten percent developing the disease in Western countries. Mammography screening is a well established method to detect breast cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the position statement is to review critically the advantages and shortcomings of population based mammography screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review and consensus of expert opinion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mammography screening programmes vary worldwide. Thus there are differences in the age at which screening is started and stopped and in the screening interval. Furthermore differences in screening quality (such as equipment, technique, resolution, single or double reading, recall rates) result in a sensitivity varying from 70% to 94% between studies. Reporting results of screening is subject to different types of bias such as overdiagnosis. Thus because of the limitations of population-based mammography screening programmes an algorithm for individualized screening is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Breast Clinic and Menopause Clinic, University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Herman.depypere@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Depypere
authors.affiliation: CHR de la CITADELLE - Boulevard du 12ème de Ligne, 1 à 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Desreux
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zaragoza University Faculty of Medicine, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, Domingo Miral s/n, Zaragoza 50009, Spain.
authors.forename: Faustino R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 'Dr. I. Cantacuzino' Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Iuliana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceausu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Valikonagi Cad. No: 93/4, Nisantasi, 34365 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: C Tamer
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Erel
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Capodestrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lambrinoudaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cardiology Unit and Head Centre for Gender Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Thorax N3:06, SE 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schenck-Gustafsson
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: van der Schouw
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simoncini
authors.affiliation: Menopause and Metabolic Bone Disease Unit, Hôpital Paule de Viguier, F-31059 Toulouse cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tremollieres
authors.affiliation: Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.lastname: EMAS
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Breast cancer; Individualized; Mammography screening