The month of October is an international month of awareness of breast cancer with the designation PINK OCTOBER (proclaimed by EUROPA DONNA) and 15 October is declared Breast Health Day. Unfortunately, there are still many women in Slovakia diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and, on average, 300 women die every year in our country in vain just because they did not undergo preventive screening and mammographic screening to detect the disease in time.
Minister for Health Vladimir Lengvarsky: The whole world, state-guaranteed mammographic screening, can save many lives. Up to 40 percent of cancer cases can be prevented by healthy lifestyles, preventive controls or screenings.
In Slovakia, there are 721 894 women aged 50-69 who should have a screening mammography every two years, so more than 300 000 women should come to screening every year. 142 121 mammographic examinations were carried out in Slovakia in 2021 (this number includes screening, preventive and diagnostic mammography). Of these, 51,990 mammography was in women with symptoms of breast cancer and 90,131 mammography in asymptomatic women, 37% of whom were examined in screening mammographic workplaces.
In Slovakia there are currently 19 screening mammographic workplaces, which were examined by a working group appointed by the Ministry of Health for quality assurance in radiodiagnostics, radiation oncology and nuclear medicine. List of screening mammographic workplaces is regularly updated and published on the website of MZ SR: https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?dops-focused-on-security-quality-on-mamographic-preventive-and-diagnostic-workshops.
Over the last less than a year, the Ministry of Health has intensively joined forces with patient organisations and health insurance companies as well as with the National Cancer Institute. After a period of preparation, the working group to promote communication on screenings comes with a new public-focused communication, with a new logo, slogan and a common name for screening examinations.
State Secretary MZ SR Lenka Dunajová Družkovská: The common name ONCOCONTROLA together with the slogan: GO TO ONCOCONTROL, TO BE OK in its various variations, could find a better response to the public, which can be the resort in cooperation with patient organisations, the National Cancer Institute, as well as health insurance companies more effective and consistent in the spread of education in the prevention of cancer diseases. It is their early diagnosis that is a prerequisite for successful cancer treatment. Therefore, education and prevention have an important and irreplaceable place in the fight against cancer.
At today's joint press conference, patient organisations, together with the National Cancer Institute, presented a number of activities to support the OCTOBRA PINK so that information on breast cancer prevention options can reach as many women as possible, but also men.
The cooperation of the Ministry, health insurance companies and patient organisations has brought additional benefits. Thanks to the fully-paid nanovalent vaccine against HPV in children between 12 and 13 years of age, the number of vaccinated children increases rapidly. While 614 children were vaccinated with vaccines in May to June in 2021, up to 4 442 children in 2022 at the same months, a 7-fold increase. In July 2022, 991 vaccinated were reported by health insurance companies.
State Secretary Róbert Babeľa MZ SR: The cancer of the cervix is the only cancer we have the vaccine for. This vaccine protects with more than 95% effectiveness, for at least the last 20 years and worldwide. Parents of children, both girls and boys, do not hesitate to use this opportunity to best protect against HPV virus and the diseases it causes. Of course, we are aware that we must not fall asleep on our laurels. Vaccination must continue to be promoted continuously in such a way that by 2030 90% of the target population is vaccinated.
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