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The BreastScreen Australia program has been successful at increasing awareness of the importance of screening mammography and the number of women who have the test. BreastScreen is a national program which provides free x-rays of the breast to look for cancer. Researchers interviewed 2,935 women with no breast cancer history. About 70% of women age 50-69 had had a mammogram, and about half had been screened in the program in the last two years. Few women reported that their doctors had recommended the program, so general practitioners can help by promoting mammography to their patients.

Two recently conducted randomized trials are observed to demonstrate the factors that affect the decision making about the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in cancer patients. The benefits and the shortcomings of the trials are also discussed.

This study compares hospital practice preparedness between graduates of traditional medical school curricula and those with undergraduate problem-based curricula. Graduates of the entry-level problem-based program are at least as well prepared to begin their internships as are graduates of traditional programs, the survey found.

A systematic review of the balance of benefits and harm, as well as the resource implications, of screening mammography of women past 70 years old is presented. Findings of this review indicate that women of this age group may want to consult with their healthcare providers in deciding for themselves whether to continue with mammographic screening, as the benefit of such screening declines as women age.