LCVH performed the texture data collection and classification, and drafted the

manuscript. TL performed statistical analyses. TOS performed the volumetric analysis. TTH designed and made the application for volumetric analysis. All authors participated in manuscript modification, read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Introduction Women in Italy account for 30 out of 59 million inhabitants, thus representing more than 50% of the entire PCI-32765 mw population [1]. According to the Italian National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT), women’s life expectancy at birth increased by a rate of 4 months per year from 1950 to 2002, reaching 86.6 years. This value is estimated to rise up to 87.4 years by 2010 [1]. After cardiovascular diseases, tumors represent the first cause of death among women in Italy, each year killing 119 and 38 per 10,000 women in the 55–74 and ≥ 75 age groups, respectively [2, 3]. Breast cancer is the leading tumor among women in Italy [1]. The risk of developing breast cancer is related to a number of factors including the events of reproductive life and lifestyle factors that modify endogenous levels of sex hormones [4]. Diet has

been also found to play an important role in the etiology of breast cancer [5]. Official data from the Italian Ministry of Health have estimated the total breast cancer incidence at 37,300 new cases in year 2005, with an overall prevalence of 416,000 CHIR-99021 cases (women living with the cancer)

[6]. The incidence per age group was estimated to exceed 100 new cases every 100,000 women ≥ 40 years of age, rising up to 200 new cases and over 300 cases in the ≥ 50 and ≥ 60 year-old groups, respectively [2, 7]. The number of deaths due to breast cancer in the Italian female population represented about 18% of the total cancer mortality rate in 1998, but the mortality rate has been reduced by 20% in the last 10 years [2, 7]. In the year 2008 a total of 11,000 deaths were attributable to breast cancer among Italian women [2]. Until now, official epidemiological data concerning the incidence of breast cancer in Italy have been computed by using a statistical model (MIAMOD, IMP dehydrogenase Mortality-Incidence Analysis MODel), which represents a back-calculation approach to estimate and project the morbidity of chronic irreversible diseases, starting with mortality and survival data [6, 8, 9]. This kind of approach is justified in light of the need to evaluate the incidence of all tumors, but may underestimate the incidence of breast cancers, since many of the deaths occurring at home or in hospital settings could be attributed to cardiovascular causes on the statistical forms filled out by physicians. The availability of accurate incidence data concerning breast cancer is of particular relevance, due to the need to evaluate the progress achieved through preventive screening campaigns.