Study of the availability of digital mammography for premenopausal women in the Valencian Breast Cancer Early Detection Program

In 1992, the Valencian Breast Cancer Screening Program (VBCSP) started in the Valencian Community. To date, 24 mammography units have been installed all over the region. There is a health risk in the studied women that has to be estimated and controlled. A methodology to calculate approximately the radiological detriment in the VBCSP has been developed based on Monte Carlo techniques. As qualitative parameters in the program, the average mean glandular doses from representative sample populations undergoing screening mammography (digital or film) from each of the 24 units in operation have been obtained. The American College of Radiology Imaging Network reached the conclusion that digital mammography performed significantly better than film for premenopausal and perimenopausal women younger than 50 years old [1]. Our group uses the software SCREENRISK [2] to estimate the induction/detection rates in order to corroborate American conclusions in a European region. The obtained results confirm the American results about the application of digital mammography in premenopausal and perimenopausal women younger than 50 years old.