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26-05-2023

Health experts encourage women to get tested for two diseases: it saves thousands of lives

Iliustracija

As the International Women's Health Day approaches on 28 May, specialists from the National Health Insurance Fund, together with experts from the National Centre of Pathology and the National Cancer Institute, urge Lithuanian women to undergo periodic health check-ups as part of the breast and cervical cancer prevention programmes paid for by the health insurance funds. Timely health screening, before any symptoms are felt, allows these diseases to be diagnosed at a pre-cancerous stage and to be successfully treated. 

Only one in five women check their health 

Doctors and health experts agree that timely prevention and early diagnosis is one of the most important factors in controlling the rising cancer morbidity and mortality rates. In Lithuania, two disease prevention programmes - breast and cervival cancer - are funded exclusively for women by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF). Women who are covered by compulsory health insurance and are in the target age group can get a free health check-up under these programmes.  

“Over the 19 years of programmes to prevent breast and cervical cancer, 455,000 women have participated in at least one programme. Some of them discovered that they are healthy, others got a second chance to live. However, data from the National Health Insurance Fund show that only one in 4-5 women out of those who are able to participate in these cancer early diagnosis programmes have their health checked periodically. Thus, participation in the programmes is not yet sufficient. Therefore, we urge Lithuanian women to be more active and seek screening for oncological diseases at their family doctor’s office”, says Tatjana Golubajeva, Deputy Director of the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health.  

Early diagnosis leads to better treatment outcomes

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women not only in Lithuania but also worldwide. According to the Institute of Hygiene, a total of 19,528 women were diagnosed with breast malignancies last year. This is 793 women more than the previous year. The number of women who died of breast cancer last year was 541. 

The Breast Cancer Prevention Programme is aimed at women aged 50 to 69 years (inclusive) who are eligible for mammography once every 2 years. According to dr. Rūta Briedienė, radiologist and Prevention Programme Coordinator at the National Cancer Institute, this examination is an X-ray method of examining the breast that can detect lesions as small as a few millimetres. It is painless, safe and effective.   

“If the woman is healthy, the examination is repeated every two years, but if suspicious lesions are detected, the woman needs further investigations. About 70% of the new breast cancer cases diagnosed each year in Lithuania are in the early stages. It is very important for women to know that with early diagnosis and modern treatment, as many as 95% of women survive for 5 years. When breast cancer is detected earlier, the better the results of treatment and the better the quality of life can be expected. I strongly encourage women to take part in the prevention programme more actively - modern technology allows us to detect cancer at a very early stage, so it is extremely important for women to come for check-ups,” says dr. R. Briedienė.  

Applying the most effective examinations 

The Institute of Hygiene has calculated that 3,097 women in the country suffered from cervical cancer last year. As a result of this form of cancer, 158 Lithuanian women died last year. It is the fourth most common oncological disease for women worldwide. 

The Cervical Cancer Prevention Programme offers free check-ups to all women aged 25 to 60. The aim of the programme is to detect pre-cancerous changes in the cervix in time and to prevent the development of cancer. Since 2022, the prevention programme has been expanded to include new services: women aged 35-60 are invited to have a human papillomavirus (HPV) check-up every 5 years. If the result is positive, a second examination is carried out: the liquid-based cytology PAP test. For women aged 25-35 years, the programme has not changed and they continue to have the cytology PAP tests.   

“Human papillomavirus is the main cause of cervical cancer, so primary HPV screening for women aged 35-59 can help detect cervical cancer risk at an earlier stage. If one or more high-risk HPV types are detected, a complementary test, the liquid-based cytology PAP test, is immediately performed to determine whether the virus has caused abnormalities in the cervical cells. Conveniently, the woman does not have to go to the doctor a second time and the test is performed on the same sample in the same laboratory. The combination of the two tests allows specialists to decide what monitoring or treatment tactics are needed for the patient,” commented Miglė Grigalevičienė, Deputy Director of the National Centre of Pathology, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros klinikos branch.  

According to her, HPV examination as a primary prevention measure is not available for women under 35 years of age, due to the high prevalence of the virus and its predominantly spontaneous disappearance among younger women. Therefore, screening for women of this age in the programme remains based on a cytological PAP test every 3 years.  

“However, it’s not just the method of examination that is important for disease prevention, but also the frequency of check-ups. Women who take part in the programme increase their chances of preventing serious illness, so it is essential to be screened regularly, especially as this is free of charge,” noted M. Grigalevičienė.  

One thousand women had abnormalities detected last year 

According to the data of NHIF, close to 122,000 women participated in the breast cancer prevention programme last year. To 770 of them, mammography helped to detect or suspect malignant lesions. Among the 137,000 women who took part in the cervical cancer prevention programme last year, 231 were found to have abnormalities that could lead to cervical cancer in the future. These two programmes alone prevented the spread of cancer in 1,000 Lithuanian women last year. 

The Health Insurance Fund also reminds women to get periodic check-ups as part of the cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer prevention programmes. 

Patients who do not fall into the age group specified in the programme but are worried about their health should also contact their family doctor immediately. After assessing the state of your health, the doctor will carry out the necessary tests to determine the cause of the problem and start the treatment, and if necessary, issue a referral for consultation with a specialist doctor. 

(Freepik photo)

The NHIF invites you:

Last updated: 09-08-2023

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