Is “mobile mammography” a Relevant Method in France?

Organized breast cancer screening has become available throughout France since 2004. According to the French National Cancer Institute, more than 22 million mammograms have been performed during the first ten years of the screening programme, or about 2.45 million mammographies each year. In 2012, the organized screening participation rate was 52.7%, well below the European target of 70%. Solutions must be found to increase this rate to recommended target levels. Three French departments have developed mobile mammography screening programmes, but their participation rates are not higher than the national average and they are associated with a number of obstacles, notably financial and technical. The number of subjects lost to follow-up is 11.4% with mobile screening versus only 2.7% for fixed sites. It is therefore essential to study the many obstacles, including financial and organizational, before setting up this type of mobile mammography programme.