Screening for breast and cervical cancer does not seem to have been a priority for women in 2023.

According to the data of the monitoring report of the Ministry of Health for the period January-August 2023, the number of women screened for cervical cancer has decreased by 32% compared to the same period of 2022.

Specifically, for the period January-August 2023, 7,029 screenings were performed compared to 10,400 screenings performed in 2022.

There was also a deterioration in the number of screenings for breast cancer.

The decrease in their number is 43% compared to the same period of 2022.

In the period January-August 2022, they performed 5,423 checks for breast cancer, while in the same period of 2023, 3,090 checks were performed.

Screenings marked the biggest drop in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions and fears of infections. The downward trend of controls in the pandemic was global. The researchers warned that as a result of the delay in early diagnosis, the number of deaths will peak in the next 1-2 years.

According to health experts, the decline in screenings associated with the aging of the population is expected to increase cancer cases in the next 10 years.