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Country fact sheet: Australia

BREAST CANCER SCREENING PROGRAMME

Reporting year for qualitative data: 2020
Source of qualitative data: Directly from Programme

Organization of screening

An individual/team/institution responsible to coordinate the programme: Yes
Dedicated budget for screening programme: Yes
Documented cancer screening policy: Yes
Nature of documentation of the policy: Notification
Year programme was initiated: 1991
Programme introduction was preceded by a pilot: Yes, pilot evaluated and report published
Screening tests provided free of charge: Yes
Diagnostic tests provided free of charge: Yes
Treatment services provided free of charge: No

Information system and data collection

System that collects data: Individual & Aggregated
   • Identification of eligible population: Individual
   • Screening participation: Individual & Aggregated
   • Screening test results: Individual & Aggregated
   • Further assessment: Individual & Aggregated
   • Final pathology diagnosis: Individual & Aggregated
   • Cancer staging: Individual & Aggregated
   • Treatment: Individual & Aggregated
The information system exists at national or sub-national level: Individual: Both national and sub-national
Aggregated: National
The information system collects data outside the programme (opportunistic screening/private sector): No
Cancer screening data is linked with population-based cancer registry (PBCR): Yes

Screening protocol

A screening protocol or guideline: Yes
Year of published/updated protocol: 2019
Target age (min-max) and screening interval [months] for each test: Mammography/DBT (50-74 years / [24 months])
All mammograms read by two radiologists independently: Yes, all mammograms

Invitations for screening and further assessment

Initiatives to create population awareness by the Health Ministry/Health Authority: Mass media campaign
Small media campaign
Group education
Invitations to eligible population: Yes
Source of the eligible individuals identified: Electorall roll
Method of invitation: Letter
Screen positive individuals actively contacted for further assessment: Yes
Individuals with a precancer or cancer diagnosis actively contacted: No

Quality Assurance (QA) of screening activities

Documented standard operating procedure/policy for QA: Yes
An individual/team/institution responsible for QA: Yes
Accreditation of mammography units: Yes
Accreditation of pathology services: Yes
Documented performance indicators: Yes
Reference standards for performance indicators: No
Evaluation reports published in the last five years: Yes

Performance indicators

Reporting year for quantitative data: 2018
Source of quantitative data: directly from programme
Age range and regional limitation if applicable: 40-74 years
Invitation coverage (%):
Participation rate (%):
Examination coverage (%): 41.4
Completeness of data related to screening test results (%): 4.8
Completeness of data related to further assessment results (%):
Further assessment rate (%): 4.8
Further assessment participation rate (%):
Detection rate of CIS (x 1000):
Detection rate of invasive cancer (x 1000):
Detection rate of CIS and invasive cancer (x 1000):
Positive Predictive Value of abnormal screening test to detect CIS (x 1000):
Positive Predictive Value of invasive cancer (x 1000):
Positive Predictive Value of CIS and invasive cancer (x 1000):
More quantitative data (2018)


Check also the following factsheets: Australia, Cervical, Colorectal