The Future of Breast Cancer Diagnostics

摘要

Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death. Every year, about 19,000 women die of breast cancer in Germany. True prevention is not possible as there exist no vaccines or other measures that can prevent the disease. Efforts to reduce mortality rates aim at improving either early detection or treatment once breast cancer has been diagnosed [1]. The objective of screening programs is to detect breast tumors as early as possible. Nearly all screening centers in Germany now use digital mammography [2,3,4] which has been shown to be the best imaging test for breast cancer detection [5]. Screening programs should meet the European quality guidelines to ensure optimal management of all women [3].