The breast cancer screening program was rolled out nationwide in 2003–2004. The results of this new protocol are presented for the year 2003. The participation rate in 2003 was 33% (81 departments). Participation is up compared to 2002, but some departments had only recently begun the program, and the rates will only be meaningful after two years. The new protocol recommends, every two years, a mammogram consisting of two images per breast, a clinical examination for all women aged 50 to 74, an immediate follow-up (enlarged view, ultrasound, fine-needle aspiration) in the event of an abnormal image by a first radiologist, and a second reading of normal images. The data were analyzed for departments with more than three months of activity (59 departments). In 2003, 12% of women had a positive mammogram, and only 4% were confirmed by the immediate diagnostic evaluation. The clinical examination detected an abnormality not visible on mammography in 0.3% of women. A total of 1.8% of women were recalled after a second reading, whereas in 2002 this rate was 6.2% under the previous program. The effectiveness and quality indicators are, on average, in line with European standards. The surgical biopsy rate was 0.8%, and 84% of these biopsies revealed cancer. The rate of cancers detected through screening was 6.3 per thousand, of which 8.3% were detected by the second reader alone. The percentage of small cancers with a favorable prognosis was 13% for ductal carcinoma in situ, 37% for invasive cancers ≤ 10 mm, and 31% for invasive cancers ≤ 10 mm without lymph node involvement. Cancer rates increase with age, consistent with the natural history of breast cancer. Overall, the 2003 results confirm, on a larger scale, those observed in 2002. Participation rates will need to increase further to reach the European benchmark of 70%. (R.A.)