Via practica 5/2011

Epidemiologic data and situation in screening of breast cancer in Slovakia

Breast cancer currently is the most frequently occurring form of cancer in women in the majority of developed countries. The incidence of breast cancer manifests an upward trend in almost all countries of the world. A significant increase in the incidence of the disease was observed in several European countries during the 1990-ties. In several high-risk countries the mortality curves are characterized by a decline due to a combination of mammographic screening, and intensification of diagnosis of the disease in early clinical stages, by which a larger number of small tumors were found and finally by an improvement of the primary and adjuvant therapy of the disease. Persistent situation with rising rates (or stagnation) of mortality in all age groups in eastern European countries (the Slovak Republic included) indicates the importance of introducing intervention measures.

Keywords: breast cancer, incidence, mortality, screening