95 screening units perform all the services in the screening chain (see fig. 2) – i.e. image-creation, reading and assessment – at 400 sites for mammography and assessment.
The screening is carried out only by specialists who are approved by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in each Federal State in Germany. The requirement for approval is specific qualification and training at a Reference Centre (see Quality Assurance), as well as successful certification by the KoopG office and the Reference Centre responsible.
Up to three lead radiologists are responsible for organising breast cancer screening within the unit, as well as for quality management at each step in the screening chain. These physicians work together with the specialist physicians approved for actually carrying out screening activities. In rural areas, some of the screening examinations are carried out in mobile mammography units (mammobiles). Treatment for any breast cancer diagnosed in an assessment is generally undertaken in certified breast cancer centres.