Breast Cancer

 About 4500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in israel each year and about 900 die of the disease. 

 One out of every 8 women in Israel may develop breast cancer and the earlier the disease is detected, the higher the chances of a cure - reaching nearly 90%. 

 Israel Cancer Association statistics demonstrate that the number of women who recover from breast cancer is steadily on the rise, thanks to early detection, enhanced treatment modalities and heightened awareness in Israel.

 Miri Ziv, ICA Director General: "Fear, lack of knowledge, or misinformation regarding breast cancer are factors that prevent many women from taking responsibility for their health, becoming acquainted with their breasts and undergoing early detection exams. About 90% of patients can be cured if the disease is detected at an early stage. Early detection is the most effective proven means of fighting breast cancer. 
 
 ICA Recommendations:

 It is highly imperative that starting from the age of 20 you become acquainted with your breasts and the changes that take place in them.  The better acquainted you are with your body, the better you will discern the changes should they occur; the next step is to consult with your physician to clarify the nature of such changes. 

 A manual breast exam should be performed by your physician who specializes in breast examinations.

 Women who are 50 years and older should regularly undergo a mammography screening once every two years.

 Women who are at high risk who have a mother or sister affected by breast cancer, should be tested once a year, starting from the age of 40, or according to their physician's recommendation. BRCA 1/2 gene mutation carriers are entitled to a breast MRI scan.

 It's important to keep in mind: the earlier the disease is diagnosed - the better the chances of a cure!

 The Israel Cancer Association invites the female public to contact the 24 hr. tele-information hotline service for answers to any questions that may have about breast cancer and other cancers, and to receive informative material free of charge.

 ICA, joining the rest of the world, initiated "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" held in October each year, as part of the national and global breast cancer awareness campaign. The ICA holds many events during this month to increase awareness about this subject.

 Breast Cancer Awareness Month activity:

 In October the ICA launches an extensive public education and information campaign in all the media channels, focusing on the importance of early detection and ways of treating breast cancer.  Diverse events are held during the awareness month to increase public awareness about the disease and the importance of early detection, namely: the Estée Lauder Companies' Global Landmark Illumination Initiative in collaboration with the ICA.

 ICA encourages women to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes physical exercise, proper diet, and maintaining a healthy weight - strategies that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.  You may find information about healthy lifestyle choices to maintain good health on the Europa Donna, European Breast Cancer Coalition website.

 The National Mammography Screening Program

The National Mammography Screening Program initiated and implemented by the ICA in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and healthcare funds, has been monitoring all breast examination activity in Israel for the past 18 years - from diagnostic radiology tests among the general population in Israel, to surgical procedures, pathological diagnosis and the monitoring of women diagnosed with malignant tumors at oncology institutes. Prof. Gad Rennert, Director of the Community Medicine and Epidemiology at Carmel Hospital, oversees this program.

 Summary of the National Mammography Screening Program 2010

 Since the project's inception, the number of mammography units operating in Israel has grown from 20 to 58 - 50 of which are currently monitored by the National Mammography Screening Program. 

 This monitoring program operates under defined national and international standards, implementing standard computing methods that provide the necessary information and facilitate monitoring of detection quality. 

 These institutes operate through effective quality assurance processes financed by the ICA, and receive complete information on the breast cancer detection rates among women who have been examined, as well as the features of tumors detected and possible indicators of failure.

 The aim of the National Mammography Screening Program is to ensure a decrease in breast cancer mortality rates in Israel, as has been demonstrated by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics data.  

 Gaps in mammography compliance rates previously identified between the various sub-populations in Israel have been narrowed and current compliance rates among new immigrant and ultra-Orthodox populations are only about 5% to 10% lower than the compliance rates among veteran Jewish female population sectors. 

 This year has seen the continuation of the scheduled appointments for mammography screenings, conducted in close collaboration with the healthcare funds.  All women between the ages of 50 and 74 are routinely summoned to be tested once every two years. 

 The mammography screening program and summoning activity have raised the screening compliance rate, which currently stands at about 72%.

 Over 5.2 million mammography tests have been performed on about 1 million women in Israel, of which over 60,000 tests were performed in the mobile mammography unit and about 370,000 tests were performed at mammography screening institutes.

Dr. Micha Barhanna and Ms. Ziona Halkai, of the Ministry of Health, presented Israel's ranking in survival rates of breast cancer patients, ranking 4^th among the top 5 European countries. The following is a graph that presents Israel in 4^th place:

* Source: EUROCARE-4 European Cancer Registry-based study on survival and care of cancer patients.

 Declining Trend in Breast Cancer Mortality Rates

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2011) data revealed:

 That breast cancer age-standardized mortality rates, from 1998-2009, decreased from 22.6% in 1998 to 17.4% in 2009.  In other words, a 30% decrease!   

 This proves that thanks to the National Mammography Screening Program initiated by the ICA, and thanks to its information and education efforts, women are diagnosed at an earlier stage, which enables quick and more effective treatment that consequently has live-saving impact.

 Breast Cancer Treatment Coordinators and Patient Navigators:

 The ICA continues to finance special posts for nurses and social workers who work as breast cancer care coordinators and patient navigators during all stages of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. 

 The ICA project's goal is to accompany the breast cancer patient throughout the treatment process, and to provide her with information, support and assistance, thereby significantly easing the burden of coping with the disease. This service is currently provided in many centers across the country. 

 Other centers have already adopted this service and the ICA continues to update personnel.  Thanks to the ICA, there is a national network of professionals who maintain regular contact with breast cancer patients and attend to their wellbeing.

 The National Mobile Mammography Vehicle

The ICA Mobile Mammography Vehicle is now in its tenth year of operation throughout the country. The aim of the mobile vehicle is:

 To enable women who reside in remote areas, as well as those who are unaware of the importance of the detection test.

 To undergo a mammography screening close to home.

 To improve accessibility to and compliance with this potentially life-saving screening test. 

The Mobile Mammography Vehicle foperates in collaboration with Clalit Healthcare Services, Maccabi Healthcare Services and Leumit Healthcare Services. 

This is the second year that the mobile vehicle is staffed by a professional team from Assuta Hospital.  Within the coming months, a new mobile vehicle, purchased by "Assuta Medical Services", with financial assistance from the ICA, will begin operating throughout Israel. 

A personal invitation letter is sent to women of the appropriate age in each destination of the mobile vehicle and ads are placed in the local newspapers announcing the mobile's scheduled activity in the region. 

 The National Breast Health and Early Detection Awareness Month

 The National Breast Health and Early Detection Awareness Month is conducted among the general female Israeli population to promote the fight against breast cancer.

  In October the ICA launches an extensive public education and information campaign in all the media channels, focusing on the importance of early detection and ways of treating breast cancer.  Diverse events are held during the awareness month to increase public awareness about the disease and the importance of early detection, namely: the Estée Lauder Companies' Global Landmark Illumination Initiative in collaboration with the ICA. 

  ICA encourages women to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes physical exercise, proper diet, and maintaining a healthy weight - strategies that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.  You may find information about healthy lifestyle choices to maintain good health on the Europa Donna, European Breast Cancer Coalition website.

 Other ICA's Activities regarding Beast Cancer

 The ICA continues to assist in operating regional early breast cancer detection stations throughout the country. 

 Countless resources have been invested in diverse sectors such as the Arab society, kibbutzim (collective settlements), the new immigrant population, the ultra-Orthodox sector, and others. 

 Informational material is distributed in hundreds of thousands of copies in Hebrew, Arabic and Russian, and the breast health lecture notes kit has been updated for Breast Health Nurses who lecture across the country on behalf of the ICA.