Bibliogr. s. 42

The paper presents the incidence of breast cancer in Poland and the correlation between 5-year survival and the stage at which the tumors are detected, based on epidemiological data. Emphasizing the importance of population screening programs, the conditions that should be fulfilled by X-ray mammography - the main method of breast cancer detection - its role, limitations, approaches, and reasons for incorrect diagnoses are presented. The clinical signs of asymptomatic breast cancer are described and the techniques of an accurate X-ray mammography performance are discussed. The BI-RADS system developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR), is suggested to be a standard for mammography interpretation in the final conclusions and recommendations for further management. The sensitivity of the method enables detection of 80-90% clinically asymptomatic lesions, depending on a the breast structure. To obtain such results, high quality of examination is a must. Therefore, it is essential to implement a quality control program at each stage of the examination across all participating mammography labs.