A successful breast cancer screening program

A private, low-cost mammography screening program in Charlotte, North Carolina, has grown from one to four fixed sites in the past 6 years and now screens more than 25,000 women annually. An ongoing medical audit of the program shows that the percentage of patients with breast cancer with positive lymph nodes has decreased from 29% to 13%, and the percentage of minimal cancers found has increased from 31% to 52%. Compliance for regular screening has remained at approximately 50% for the past 2 years. Means of increasing compliance to desired levels are discussed.