Introduction

In 2012, 1.7 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer and there were 6.3 million women alive who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous 5 years. Today, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women (522,000 deaths in 2012) and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide.1 Over the last 5 years, the incidence of breast cancer has increased by 14%. Possible reasons for this effect, besides biological factors, are mammographic screening, early detection, and significant advances in diagnostic imaging. Digital mammography, high-resolution breast ultrasonography, image-guided interventional procedures, and magnetic resonance mammography are among the standard techniques now available as a complementary protocol for curative diagnosis and screening. These technologies have advanced greatly in the past decade and are now applied on a population-wide scale, with quality assurance, for indications that are clearly specified in official guidelines.

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