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Mammography in developing countries: the risks associated with globalizing the experiences of the Western world

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 6, pages 136–137 (2009)Cite this article

A recent perspective article1 has highlighted the association between 'westernization' of lifestyles and increased breast cancer incidence and mortality in developing countries. One important aspect of managing this impending pandemic is the issue of whether to use mammography programs for early detection of breast cancer in low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs).

Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer worldwide in women, comprising almost a quarter (23%) of all cases of cancer in females.2 In 2002, an estimated 1.15 million cases were diagnosed globally,2 more than half of which occurred in industrialized, Western countries—with 361,000 cases in Europe and 230,000 in North America.2 In most LMCs, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing at a faster pace than in developed countries, where the incidence is already high.1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AA Arslan is Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Environmental Medicine, and SC Formenti is Sandra and Edward H Meyer Professor of Radiation Oncology and Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), both at New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,

    Alan A Arslan & Silvia C Formenti

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  1. Alan A Arslan
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  2. Silvia C Formenti
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Correspondence to Silvia C Formenti.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Arslan, A., Formenti, S. Mammography in developing countries: the risks associated with globalizing the experiences of the Western world. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 6, 136–137 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc1282

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