Control examinations make it possible to detect breast cancer at an early stage, when there are excellent chances for a complete cure, said the Institute for Public Health (IJZ) and pointed out that the numbers indicate the seriousness of the problem of getting sick and dying from this disease.
On the occasion of Pink October, breast cancer prevention month, the IJZ said that it is a very serious disease and the most common malignant neoplasm from which women fall ill and die.
They stated that, according to data from the World Health Organization, in 2022, about 2,3 million new cases of breast cancer will be registered in the world and about 670 thousand will die from the disease.
The IJZ said that breast cancer most often occurs after the age of 40, but that younger people can also get the disease.
"According to GLOBOCAN's estimates for the year 2022, the number of new cases of breast cancer in women in Montenegro was 416 (a total of 2.739 new cases of cancer in both sexes)," the announcement says.
As stated, of all cancer cases in both sexes, breast cancer accounts for 15,2 percent, that is, almost every seventh person with cancer has breast cancer.
The Institute said that the share of breast cancer, out of all cancer cases, in women is 31,4 percent, that is, almost every third woman suffering from cancer is suffering from breast cancer.
"The age-standardized incidence rate of breast cancer was 76,5 per 100 women, according to which Montenegro is ranked 20th in Europe," the announcement says.
It is stated that the largest number of sick women is registered in the age group between 55 and 74 years old, which accounts for more than half of new cases of breast cancer in women - 54,1 percent.
"According to the same source, the number of women who died from breast cancer in 2022 is 154, with the participation of ten percent of all those who died from cancer in Montenegro - every tenth person who died from cancer died from breast cancer," said the IJZ -a.
They said that in the same year, 22,4 percent of all women who died of cancer died of breast cancer - every fifth woman who died of cancer died of breast cancer.
As stated by the Institute, the age-standardized death rate from breast cancer was 23,3 per 100 women, which is the highest death rate from breast cancer in Europe.
"These numbers warn us and at the same time point to the seriousness of the problem of getting sick and dying from breast cancer, emphasizing the importance of continuous health care," the announcement states.
The IJZ said that there are certain risk factors for the occurrence of breast cancer, such as gender, age, family and personal history of the disease, early first menstruation and late menopause.
"As well as other risk factors such as: women who have not given birth, or had their first birth after the age of 30, women who were not able to breastfeed children, use of hormone therapy, bad lifestyle habits - excessive body weight, insufficient physical activity activity and excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol", the announcement states.
The IJZ said that the presence of risk factors indicates a higher risk of getting the disease and that it does not necessarily mean that a woman will get breast cancer, and that is why regular checkups are recommended according to the recommendations of experts.
"Breast check-ups make it possible to detect the disease at an early stage, when there are excellent chances for a complete cure," the IJZ pointed out.
As they stated, it is recommended that every woman after the age of 20 should examine her breasts once a month as part of a breast self-examination in the period from the fifth to the tenth day from the beginning of the menstrual cycle.
The Institute said that menopausal women always plan and perform self-examination on the same date of the month.
"If you discover a change during a self-examination of your breasts, you should contact your chosen doctor immediately, without delay," says the announcement.
It is stated that breast ultrasound examination and digital mammography are very important methods of examination, because they can be used to detect tumors and other changes too small to be felt and detected by self-examination.
According to the IJZ, breast ultrasound examination is the method of choice for younger women and pregnant women.
From that health institution, they stated that it is recommended that a woman do an ultrasound examination of her breasts once a year.
"Digital mammography is widely accepted as the gold standard for detecting breast cancer at an early stage when it is highly curable. It includes an X-ray examination of the breasts with the use of small and harmless doses of radiation," the announcement says.
It is stated that it is recommended that a woman after the age of 40, in accordance with the medical history and in agreement with the radiologist, have a mammogram.
"Breast cancer screening is a very important preventive program that detects breast cancer at an early stage, and is intended for women aged 50-69," the statement added.
The IJZ said that the goal of screening is to identify changes in the breasts, before symptoms and signs of the disease appear.
As they stated, the primary screening test is digital mammography.
"A woman takes care of her breast health by practicing healthy lifestyle habits every day, performing a breast self-examination once a month, regularly going to the recommended check-ups and participating in organized examinations for the early detection and prevention of breast cancer," says the announcement.
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