In a 10 year period 1971-1980, the records of 944 individual women with benign breast lumps and 228 with primary carcinomata are reviewed. This study describes the age, ethnic distribution of benign and malignant breast tumours in women in Peninsular Malaysia and compares the pattern with Western experience. There are important variations in the incidence pattern between the different races in Peninsular Malaysia and between them and women in Britain and the United States.