Mammography Screening Programme in Germany

German mammography screening is a quality-assured programme for the early detection of breast cancer. The programme is offered to all women in the age range from 50 to 69 years. You will be invited to a mammography examination every two years at one of the 94 screening units in writing. In Germany a total of 10.4 million women fall into this category.

The aim of the programme is to detect breast cancer as early as possible in order to reduce the mortality from breast cancer in this age group and to improve the quality of life for women with the illness through treatment that takes more care of them.

In June 2002 the German parliament voted unanimously to introduce a quality-assured mammography screening programme in Germany based on European guidelines. Strict quality assurance and quality management are innovations for the nationwide programme and these are carried out at all steps of the screening chain:

• Separate screening units were set up for the programme. These are centres that are specialized in screening and have their own regularly checked accreditation for this.
• The screening mammography is carried out at these by specially trained specialists on strictly inspected, modern equipment.
• Every mammogram is assessed by at least two specially ualified doctors. Every year these doctors will have assessed the mammograms of at least 5000 women. In addition, every year they have to pass a case collection examination.
• If there is an abnormality in the mammogram, then the suspect finding is investigated further within the screening programme. The results of the investigations and further action are discussed in a case conference of the doctors' teams on site.
•  Documentation and evaluation of the current programme is taking place with the involvement of the cancer register.

For the purposes of the coordination and quality assurance of the mammography screening programme, the statutory health insurance schemes have, together with the federation of German health insurance scheme doctors, founded the "Kooperationsgemeinschaft Mammographie" (Mammography Cooperative). The five reference centres are regional subdivisions of this cooperative. They are tasked with quality assurance as well as the continued training of the doctors and radiographers participating in the programme. The directors of the reference centres are at the same time doctors responsible for the programme at a screening unit.

Press Office
Kooperationsgemeinschaft Mammographie
Dr. Barbara Marnach-Kopp

Hermann-Heinrich-Gossen-Straße 3
D-50858 Köln
Fon.: + 49 2234 - 9490-0
Fax: + 49 2234 - 9490-260
bmarnach@koop-mammo.de