Key figures and reports in BreastScreen Norway
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Here you can find key figures and reports on the performance of BreastScreen Norway.
Key figures
Since its launch in 1995/96, BreastScreen Norway has sent out nearly 7.4 million invitations and carried out more than 5.5 million screening examinations among approximately 1.3 million women.
More than 175,000 follow-up assessments have been performed, and nearly 32,000 cases of breast cancer have been detected. These include approximately 5,600 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 26,000 cases of invasive breast cancer.
Over the entire period, this corresponds to 5.7 cases of breast cancer and DCIS detected per 1,000 screening examinations.
How many women are in the target group of BreastScreen Norway?
As of January 2026, nearly 700,000 women are in the target population for BreastScreen Norway. The number increases slightly each year.
Around 27,000 women in the target group have asked not to receive invitations. Of these, 12,100 have asked to stop receiving invitations permanently. This includes women who have had both breasts removed, women who are undergoing follow-up after breast cancer surgery and will be over the age of 69 when their follow-up ends, and women who do not wish to participate in the screening programme.
Around 14,800 women have asked to stop receiving invitations for a limited period. This includes women who are undergoing follow-up after breast cancer surgery and will return to routine screening when their follow-up ends, as well as women who had already undergone mammography shortly before receiving their invitation from BreastScreen Norway.
What are the results of BreastScreen Norway?
The tables below show results for selected quality indicators in BreastScreen Norway.
| Year |
Invitations: Number of women who received invitation |
Attendance: Attendance among invited women |
Follow-up assessments: Percentage of attending women who underwent follow-up |
Screen-detected breast cancer: Rate per 1,000 women attending |
| 20211 | 327,600 | 75.8 % | 3.2 % | 6.6 |
| 2022 | 324,900 | 76.1 % | 3.2 % | 6.4 |
| 2023 | 328,900 | 76.7 % | 2.9 % | 6.4 |
| 2024 | 321,500 | 76.9 % | 3.1 % | 6.3 |
| 2025 | 332,300 | 78.8 % | 2.9 % | 6.2 |
|
1Figures for 2021 are influenced by the Covid-19-pandemic. |
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| Geographicale area/breast centre |
Invitations (number of women) |
Attendance (% of the invited) |
Follow-up assessments (% of those who attended) |
Screen-detected breast cancer (per 1,000 of those who attended) |
| Agder | 18,600 | 80.6 % | 3.4 % | 5.9 |
|
Ahus (Romerike, Follo, Kongsvinger) |
31,200 | 77.6 % | 3.1 % | 6.7 |
| Innlandet | 25,500 | 79.2 % | 2.4 % | 5.2 |
| Møre og Romsdal | 16,700 | 80.2 % | 2.5 % | 6.3 |
| Nordland | 14,300 | 82.5 % | 2.3 % | 4.5 |
| Oslo | 30,200 | 72.8 % | 4.1 % | 7.8 |
|
Rogaland (Helse Fonna) |
11,000 | 83.6 % | 2.7 % | 6.0 |
|
Rogaland (Helse Stavanger) |
22,300 | 82.5 % | 3.1 % | 6.6 |
| Telemark | 11,300 | 77.9 % | 1.1 % | 4.0 |
| Troms og Finnmark | 16,700 | 77.8 % | 3.0 % | 5.5 |
| Trøndelag | 28,000 | 80.0 % | 2.5 % | 6.0 |
| Vestfold | 16,200 | 77.2 % | 2.4 % | 5.0 |
|
Vestland (Helse Bergen) |
32,300 | 79.9 % | 3.2 % | 7.4 |
|
Vestland (Helse Førde) |
5,800 | 84.5 % | 2.9 % | 3.9 |
|
Vestre Viken (Buskerud, Asker, Bærum, Sande, Svelvik) |
30,900 | 77.3 % | 2.8 % | 6.8 |
| Østfold | 21,200 | 77.4 % | 2.4 % | 5.9 |
| Totalt | 332,300 | 78.8 % | 2.9 % | 6.2 |
| Age |
Invitations (number of women) |
Attendance (% of the invited) |
Follow-up assessments (% of those who attended)
|
Screen-detected breast cancer (per 1,000 of those who attended)
|
| 50-54 | 74,700 | 79.3 % | 4.4 % | 5.2 |
| 55-59 | 93,400 | 79.2 % | 2.5 % | 5.5 |
| 60-64 | 80,800 | 79.2 % | 2.3 % | 6.4 |
| 65-69 | 83,300 | 77.7 % | 2.4 % | 7.6 |
| Totalt | 332,300 | 78.8 % | 2.9 % | 6.2 |
| Age |
Invitations (number of women)
|
Attendance (% of the invited)
|
Follow-up assessments (% of those who attended)
|
Screen-detected breast cancer (per 1,000 of those who attended)
|
| 50-51 | 23,300 | 78.5 % | 5.6 % | 6.0 |
| 68-69 | 38,000 | 76.6 % | 2.4 % | 7.9 |
Selected reports
- BreastScreen Norway 30 years, 1996-2025. NIPH, 2026 The report summarises results from 30 years of organised mammography screening in Norway, with a particular focus on the most recent five-year period, and presents perspectives on the future of the screening programme.
- Kvalitetsstatus i Mammografiprogrammet. Oppfyllelse av kriterier i kvalitetsmanualen (Quality status in BreastScreen Norway. Compliance with criteria in the quality assurance manual). (In Norwegian) NIPH, 2026. The report describes and assesses all criteria set out in the BreastScreen Norway quality assurance manual, identifies the party responsible for each criterion, and states whether the criterion has been met.
- BreastScreen Norway: 25 years of organized mammographic screening. Cancer Registry of Norway, 2022. The report includes a brief description of the current screening programme and presents results from 25 years of screening, with a particular focus on the most recent five-year period
- The Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program, 1996-2016: Celebrating 20 years of organised mammographic screening. Kreftregisteret, 2017. The report describes the screening programme, including its history and key developments since its launch in 1995, and presents results for a range of quality indicators. It also provides insight into quality assurance, evaluation and research related to BreastScreen Norway, as well as perspectives on the future of the screening programme.