Preliminary results of primary screening for breast cancer with the Mama Program

In 1972 a comprehensive BSE screening strategy for the early detection of breast cancer, the "Mama Program Screening" (MPS), was developed in Finland by the author on the initiative of women's organizations. The program consists of a) initial information about the facilities of the program and BSE-performance, b) prospective surveillance of the BSE-behaviour of complying women, who use a specially designed Mama calendar for regular notes on their BSE behaviour and c) a pre-organized system for women with self-identified anomalies in the breasts to self-refer to physicians in public health care. From 1973 to 1975 an MPS project was carried out in Finland with 56,000 exposed women. Compliance to BSE-performance of once a month increased from 2% prior to the enrollment to 55%, and resulted in 2% of self-referrers. In the compliers, mortality from breast cancer was reduced overall by 29%, the screening being effective in all age groups, also in those under 50 years. The MPS was easy and inexpensive to implement in existing public health care systems with the information material developed for the study and with physicians in PHC facilities.