Abstract
In recent years, the criticism of mammography as a diagnostic and/or survey procedure has decreased, primarily due to the perception that there has been an increase in quality and a concomitant decrease in risk. A review of the physical changes in mammographic equipment, the characteristics of current image receptors and dosimetry indicates that this assumption is correct. The results of the examination of 280,000 women from the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project centers also support this conclusion. When all factors are considered it is reasonable to conclude that the potential benefits of mammography far outweigh the minimal risk incurred by the examination.