Free breast cancer screening program will cover all Armenia - Health Ministry

YEREVAN, February 2. /ARKA/. The breast cancer screening program will cover all regions of Armenia, Head of the Health Care Policy Department of the Health Ministry Knar Gonyan said on Thursday.

According to her, the free breast cancer screening program was launched in 2023 and there is a slight increase in those applying for it.

If a malignant tumor is diagnosed, the state bears the entire cost of surgery. The state also covers the cost of radiation therapy and co-finances chemotherapy.

In addition, since 2020, the state has been providing the drug Trastuzumab free of charge for the entire course of treatment.

‘If a few years ago our citizens had to travel abroad to undergo positron emission tomography, now there is no need for it. Now it is done in Armenia as well," Gonyan noted.

Since 2020, about 739 women have received 17 free injections of the drug each . One injection cost is about $1,000, which means that since 2020 about $13 million worth of medication has been provided to patients. Currently, 156 women are being treated.

Artur Avetisyan, deputy director of the Fanarjyan National Center for Oncology, expressed concern about the low rates of involvement of female patients in the breast cancer screening program.

Thus, according to him, only 40% of the target population aged 55-60 have undergone mammography, while the established target is 70%.

"Even more worrisome is the low attendance rate for repeat visits when something suspicious is detected," he said.

The expert also reminded that in 50-60% of cases, the cause of cancer is related to lifestyle, diet, smoking and overweight.

According to the latest data, from January 2021 to the end of September 2023, 24,500 women were examined, 250 cases of oncology were detected, 228 women were treated and more than 20 refused treatment. -0-