Screening mammography: increasing the effort toward breast cancer detection.

Mammography is the only modality with the potential for detecting a breast cancer while it is non-palpable and at a stage of high curability. Early detection of breast cancer is important because survival is directly related to tumor size and lymph node status, and prognosis is best for small lesions without axillary node metastasis. Many studies have indicated that screening mammography is tremendously underused. This article focuses on the effectiveness of mammography and the importance of detecting a breast cancer at an early stage. Health care providers have a responsibility to inform their clients about the benefits of mammography. In addition, women need to be taught breast self-examination and undergo regular clinical breast examinations by a health care professional. The American Cancer Society guidelines for screening breast cancer are given.