Extract: Breast cancer is a major public-health issue on a global scale. According to estimates in 2002, there were 1,151,298 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed world-wide. Between 1951 and 1990, mortality from breast cancer rates rose but have since fallen in most European countries, noticeably in the UK. In Japan the mortality rates have been lower than those in Europe, but at present they are still increasing. The reasons for the decline in breast cancer mortality rates in western Europe, Australia, and the Americas include widespread mammographic screening, precise diagnosis, and an increase in the number of women receiving the best treatment for their conditions. Women who have first-degree relatives with a history of the disease are at an increased risk. In countries where breast cancer is common, the lifetime incidence of breast cancer is 5.5% for women with one affected first-degree relative and 13.3% for those with two. However, eight out of nine women who develop the disease do not have an affected mother, sister, or daughter.