October is the international Breast Cancer Awareness Month — this period allows us to once again highlight the importance of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Disease indicators and trends

Breast cancer represents the most common malignant tumour in women both in Georgia and globally. According to statistical data, the number of new breast cancer cases is increasing year by year. However, there is a positive trend — the mortality rate is decreasing. The main reason for this is early diagnosis, in which screening programmes play an especially crucial role.

Aim and essence of screening

Screening represents the examination of a healthy, asymptomatic population to detect pathology at an early stage. Its main goal is to detect the disease at a stage when treatment is most effective and yields the most complete results.

The main stages of screening include:

•  Physical examination (palpation — check of the mammary gland and lymph nodes)

•  Ultrasound examination — imaging of the mammary gland and regional lymph nodes

• 2D mammography — mainly for ages over 40

• Aspiration biopsy — in case a pathological lesion is detected

Consequences of delayed diagnosis

It is alarming that to this day, about one third of new cases are diagnosed at the third or fourth stage — which significantly complicates treatment and increases the risk of complications and lethal outcomes.