I.

Introduction Cancer is a major health problems worldwide and the morbidity and mortality from cancer give rise to much suffering. The risk of developing cancer in an individuals lifetime is about 33% and the risk of dying of cancer is 25%. Cancer is not only a disease of the elderly though for many cancers the incidence increases with age. Breast cancer in the US and Western Europe is the commonest female cancer and accounts for the most cancer deaths in women. Eighteen percent of women who develop breast cancer will be under 50 years of age and with an average of 50% mortality this will produce a significant number of deaths in a population of wives and mothers who are making major contribution to the nurture of future generations and the economy. Loss of life in this age group has very serious consequences for both society in general and for the individual families involved. There are now major health program throughout the world involved. There are now major health programs thought the world involved in researched and development, prevention, early detection and new treatments with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality rate of cancer in the world. This is assumed to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors and their interaction. In the UK 30,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnose each year making this the commonest malignancy in women and causing nearly 15000 deaths per year, Randomized studies of prevention strategies particularly with the anti-oestrogens Tamoxifen and more recently raloxifenem and retinoid have either been completed or are on going. The final analysis is awaited bit it is likely that the effective3 preventive measures will be available no too distant future. A national population base breast screening program was commence `10 years ago in the evidence from randomize trials, which demonstrate a reduction in breast cancer mortality from screening. This remains an area of considerable medical debate, which centers on the question pf cost effectiveness. In the not too distant future it should be possible to define women who are increase risk of breast cancer, to discover the reasons for their increased risk, and then to target both specific and preventive and early detection

strategies at this at risk population. In Asia, the Republic of the Philippines has the highest reported incidence rate of breast cancer, from 43.2 in 2003-2005, the age standardized incidence rate(ASR) is no 47.7 per 100,000 females, and this figure exceeds the rate reported for several Western countries, including Spain, Italy and most Eastern European countries,, Many breast cancer are diagnosed among 35 to 50 years old Filipino women, In terms of breast cancer detection, a local study revealed that the use of breast self examination (BSE) and aspiration biopsy/open biopsy are the most cost effective strategies in the Philippine setting, incurring savings for the government by almost 3 million Php of US $60,000 (1989 value) per year per 1000,000 women. Mammography is neither readily available nor affordable especially in the rural areas.