• About the Program
• How do I arrange a mammogram?
• Frequently asked questions
• Key statistics
• National Policy
• Policy Statements
• BreastScreen Australia Evaluation
• Publications and Resources
• Useful links
• Contact Us

Key statistics

• Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women in Australia.
• Age is the biggest risk factor in developing the disease. Over 75 per cent of breast cancers occur in women 50 years and over.
• Nine out of 10 women who get breast cancer DON’T have a family history of breast cancer.
• The lifetime risk of women developing breast cancer before age 75 years is one in 11.
• From 1993 onwards, there has been a steady decline in the age-standardised mortality rates for women in the target age group of 50-69 years. The mortality rate for these women in 1989 was 66.7 deaths per 100,000 women; in 2005 the corresponding figure was 51.8.
• In 2004-2005, 1,614,871 women participated in BreastScreen Australia screening. Of these women, 1,188,720 (74%) were in the screening program target age group of 50 to 69 years.
• The program's aim is to achieve a participation rate of 70% among women aged 50-69 years. At present, the program is screening 56.2% of women in this age group.
• In 2004, there were 3,680 invasive cancers detected by BreastScreen Australia.
• BreastScreen Australia operates in over 500 locations nationwide via fixed, relocatable and mobile screening units.