Abstract
In Japan, the rate of mammography screening for breast cancer is low at just over 20%, and the breast cancer mortality rate is increasing. This contrasts with the situation in Europe and the United States, where the rate of mammography screening is 70～80% and mortality due to breast cancer has been decreasing since the late 1980s. The difference in the rates of mammography screening between the West and Japan is considered attributable to breast cancer screening practices in Japan. This paper covers the history of breast cancer screening in Japan, starting with the establishment of the Japan Association for Breast Cancer Screening (JABCS) in February 1991, subsequent steps, and future directions. In Japan, there are still many challenges, such as improving the cancer screening rate, the transition from analog to digital mammography, soft copy diagnosis (diagnostic monitoring), ultrasound examination for dense breast tissue in women in their 40s, and diagnostic imaging advances for MRI. In 2010, the JABCS attained the status of a Nonprofit Organization (NPO), having been a voluntary organization previously. Furtherdevelopment of the JABCS is expected.
