Screening Misperceptions and Misuse in Greek Women Undergoing Vacuum- Assisted Breast Biopsy

Greece is a country where cancer screening is extremely problematic, according to data coming from the recent Delphi consensus study (Skroumpelos et al., 2013) as well as the studies issued by the Panhellenic Association for Continual Medical Research (PACMER) (Kamposioras et al., 2007; Mauri et al., 2009). Specifically concerning mammogram, the PACMER investigators reported a screening rate equal to 22.8% (Mauri et al., 2009) whereas the Hellas Health I Survey reported a rate equal to 53.8% adopting less strict criteria (i.e. mammogram within the past 3 years) in a predefined age group (50-69 years). Accordingly, at the level of Greek physicians, the recent Delphi study demonstrated a considerable lack of consensus among experts, especially regarding colorectal cancer (Skroumpelos et al., 2013).