Results of the first round of a mammographic screening in the Health Distric of Leno (Brescia, Italy)

The results are reported of the first round of a biennal mammographic screening of women aged 50-64 years started in the Health Distric of Leno (Brescia, Italy) in December 1985. A total of 7662 women are invited and 5235 attended the programme (68.3%), 87 underwent biopsy or surgery and 39 were found to have a malignant tumor (positive predictive test value: 44.8%; detection rate: 7.5%). The series of 39 cancers found at screening included 4 carcinoma in situ (10.3%); of the invasive tumors, 8 were ≤10mm (20.5%); 20 were 11-20 mm in greatest diameter (51.3%) and 7 were 21-40 mm (17.9%). Twenty-four cases showed no axillary lymph node involvement (61.5%), and none of them had metastasis at the time of diagnosis. On the basis of pTNM, 69.2% of cases was classified stage I, 17.9% stage II, none stage III and 2.6% stage IV