BreastCheck, the national free breast screening programme, begins in Cork today five years after it was first promised.
In its annual report BreastCheck shows that in 2006 it screened 63,271 women, the highest number of women screened by the programme to date.
Of the women screened that year, 1,903 were recalled for assessment. Of those 337 were diagnosed with breast cancer.
The rate of acceptance for screening reached just over 78% of eligible women aged 50 to 64, which is above the programme target of 70%.
Screening can detect cancer up to 18 months before it appears as a lump.
The service is due to be extended to the West next week.
