Breast Cancer Screening Rates Among Women Aged 20 Years and Above — China, 2015

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in China and around the world. By 2019, 121 countries have instituted a national screening program as a secondary prevention measure for breast cancer. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? Breast cancer screening rates in China were 18.9% in women aged 20 years and above, and 25.7% in women aged 35–64 years in 2015. The screening rate for women aged 20 years and above was significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas (24.6% vs. 15.0%), and in the eastern region than in the central and western regions (24.0% vs. 15.1% and 15.3%). WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? Continued efforts should be made to strengthen national and local policy initiatives and financial support for population-based, organized screening programs for breast cancer. Health education and accessibility of screening services to women across the country should be strengthened, especially for women aged 50 years and above.