OBJETIVO: Conocer la situacion del cancer de mama en Colombia mediante la revision de publicaciones epidemiologicas y clinicas. MATERIALES Y METODOS: Evaluacion de estudios publicados en revistas cientificas seriadas sobre cancer de mama en Colombia mediante busqueda en las bases de datos Medline con los terminos neoplasm and breast and Colombia y Lilacs con neoplasia y mama y Colombia. Se seleccionaron los estudios con aplicacion epidemiologica o clinica con muestreo o datos de mujeres residentes en Colombia, ubicando sus resultados en la seccion de introduccion y en la de discusion de acuerdo con los enfoques de promocion, prevencion y tratamiento. RESULTADOS: Se encontraron 62 referencias en Medline de las que se seleccionaron 23 y en Lilacs de 16 se escogieron 4. Las referencias se descartaron en Medline por las siguientes razones: 15 por el diseno de estudio (revision de tema, presentacion de casos clinicos), 7 por tratarse de investigacion basica, 10 por tema diferente al cancer de mama en Colombia y 7 por datos pertenecientes a otro pais. En Lilacs se excluyeron por: 7 articulos tambien presentes en Medline, 3 por diseno, 1 de investigacion basica y 1 de un tema diferente. CONCLUSIONES: Los articulos revisados permiten tener una vision integral sobre el cancer de mama en Colombia. En ellos se puede verificar que hay limitaciones en la prestacion del servicio de atencion en salud para esta enfermedad, y se identifican factores de riesgo con significancia estadistica como la nuliparidad, niveles altos de inactividad fisica y exposicion a DDE (diclorodifenildicloroeteno) y para el cancer genetico se encontraron mutaciones fundadoras. La consulta se hace principalmente por sintomas, no sobre resultados de cribado como seria lo deseable. Existen tambien contribuciones sobre el manejo quirurgico y adyuvante extrapolables a las condiciones del pais. Palabras clave: (DeCs): neoplasia, mama, neoplasias de la mama, Colombia. BREAST CANCER IN COLOMBIA ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to update data on breast cancer in Colombia by reviewing epidemiological and clinical publications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Assessment of studies published in scientific journals on the subject, by searching Medline with the termsneoplasm and breast and Colombia; Lilacs was searched with terms neoplasia, mama, and Colombia. Studies with epidemiological or practical clinical applications with sampling or data of women living in Colombia were selected, placing results both in the introduction and discussion sections according to different approaches of promotion, prevention and treatment. RESULTS: 62 references were found in Medline from which we selected 23 and in Lilacs, 4 out of 16. Medline references were discarded for the following reasons: 15 because of study design (topic review, case presentation); 7, for being basic research, 10, for they discussed subjects other than breast cancer in Colombia and 7 because they contained data from another country. In Lilacs, we excluded 7 for duplication in Medline, 3 because of design, 1 for being basic research and 1 for discussing a different subject. CONCLUSIONS: Articles reviewed allow a comprehensive understanding on breast cancer in Colombia. Thus, we were able to verify limitations in health care for this condition, and statistically significant risk factors were identified, such as null parity, high levels of physical inactivity and exposure to DDE (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethene) and for genetic cancer, founder mutations were seen. Consultation is done mainly because of symptoms, not for screening results, as it would be desirable. There are also contributions on surgical and adjuvant managements that could be extrapolated to national conditions. Key words: (DeCs): neoplasia, breast, breast neoplasms, Colombia.