Considering that the 30% of malignant breast tumors are detected with regular mammography tests, the main achievement of the initiative is the detection of breast cancer in a very early stage, at which the illness is curable and the treatment is more effective. It is remarkable, that this initiative has raised the awareness of women and has made an increasing number of women, who had never been through the test, to change attitudes and have an annual examination .
In particular the achievements and key benefits of the initiative are the reduction of mortality from breast cancer in the female population of Heraklion prefecture at 30% and the early diagnosis of breast cancer with a tumor of less than one centimetre in diameter, in frequency 15/10000. Since the start of the initiative in July 2008, the mobile mammography unit has visited all the 26 Municipalities of Heraklion three times so far. It has done 100 visits in total (88 in the rural areas and 12 visits in the Heraklion area). The unit has done 3,950 mammograms so far. From the 3,950 mammograms that have been analysed by the doctors, 480 women were referred to the hospital for further examination (ultrasound), 28 biopsies were carried out and 15 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed that were life-threatening for women. From the 3,950 women who had a mammogram, the 40% of women were having this examination for the first time in their life.
In the future, when a significant amount of scientific data, that concern breast cancer, will have been collected, it could be used and analysed for further medical research by the medical doctors of Venizeleio Hospital. From this amount of data, it is expected that useful and productive conclusions can be drawn.
The group that has benefited from the initiative is mainly women between the age of 40 and 70 years old, who live in the Heraklion prefecture, other prefectures of Crete and other neighboring remote islands (i.e. Kastelorizo, Santorini). The mission of the mobile mammography unit also serves the tasks of doctors in the Local Health Centres and the Regional Infirmaries of Heraklion prefecture, as it helps in better medical prevention for the population served by them. Moreover, this initiative generally accomplishes a remarkable social work, improving the health level of the prefecture population.
Another key benefit, steaming from the initiative concerns the administrative decentralisation, especially actions such as making mammograms at womens’ places of residence, free of charge (for insured and uninsured women), reduction of public hospital workload as a significant number of women are tested at the mobile mammography unit, reduction of the appointment waiting time, non-involvement of Social Security Organizations’ services and stuff. According to the sector of employment, women are secured in various Social Security Organizations that are government owned services. Complicated bureaucratic processes are frequently required for women who want to have examinations and particularly the expensive ones, such as the mammograms.
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