The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands reminds women in the archipelago of the importance of having regular check-ups to improve both the early detection of this pathology and the survival rates.
The Ministry joins the commemoration of World Breast Cancer Day, which takes place every October 19, as indicated in a statement.
The Canary Islands has an early breast cancer detection program aimed at 357,900 women between the ages of fifty and 69 who currently live on the islands.
Coverage is 100% throughout the autonomous community, and participation is around 70% of the women invited.
Through this project of the General Directorate of Healthcare Programs of the Canary Islands Health Service, a total of 109,936 mammograms were performed on women between the ages of fifty and 69 during 2024.
Of the total explorations carried out, 3,391 patients were referred to reference hospitals to continue their study, and as a result, 596 cancers were detected.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women. Its prognosis depends mainly on the extent of the disease at the time of detection, so early diagnosis is one of the ways to improve the chances of cure.
Numerous studies confirm the possibility of reducing mortality from breast cancer in women undergoing early detection, by approximately 30% compared to those not studied.
This is a population-based program in which all women registered in the different municipalities are invited via personalized letter. The letter indicates the day and time to come in for a mammogram.
The screening is repeated every two years, and to reduce possible errors in the reading of mammograms, they are evaluated by two different radiologists.
Thanks to early diagnosis and advances in cancer treatment, mortality from this cancer has decreased in recent years, and it currently has a 90% survival rate after five years.