Debate rages over cost-effective screening methods for disease

American Cancer Society guidelines for early detection of breast cancer recommend that all women aged 40 and older should have annual mammograms. Women in their 20s and 30s should undergo a clinical breast examination every three years.

However, experts said the ACS's recommendations are unlikely to be implemented in China for a number of reasons.

"If the recommendations were to be adopted, the cost of detecting each case, when spread over all the women in that age group, would be a staggering 1.25 million yuan ($204,000) per year. That means it would be impractical to use mammograms to screen all women aged 40 or older," said Sun Qiang, director of the breast surgery clinic at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital.