GE HealthCare's Mammo Campaign Comes to Hungary

During the bus' stay, nearly 500 women will undergo screenings with high-quality equipment in Budapest, Újszász and Túrkeve. At the initiative's launch event, invited experts from different fields discussed how they can work together to ensure that more people receive the necessary and recommended screening tests to protect their health.

In 2020, nearly 2.26 million women worldwide faced breast cancer and one in eight women are expected to be affected by the disease in their lifetime. In order to reduce the risks associated with the disease, the most important step is to identify the cancer early. Regular screening is essential for early detection so that the disease is detected at a stage when it has the best chance of being successfully treated. Despite this, only 30-40% of women currently participate in screening under the existing national screening program, GE HealthCare notes.

"According to the latest figures, there are around 8,500 new cases of breast cancer and nearly 2,200 deaths in Hungary every year. In Hungary, breast screening has been available since 2002, with the aim of detecting asymptomatic tissue lesions in the early stages of development," shared Renáta Tamás Bertókné, head of the Screening Management Department of the National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy during the discussion.

"Currently, women aged 45-65 receive an invitation letter for breast screening for public health purposes every two years through the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy. Based on 20 years of experience and taking into account the evolving evidence, there are plans to widen the screening age range to 40-70 years. Currently, 43 screening stations are available in the country, so the possibility to perform screening is given. However, it is important to stress that women themselves can make the biggest contribution to the earlier detection of cancer-preventing conditions by taking part in screening," she added.

In addition to the development of medical equipment and digital solutions, GE HealthCare also places a high priority on social responsibility. In this spirit, it has launched its "Care That Can Travel to Every Woman" initiative, which aims to raise awareness of women's health and encourage women to participate in screening tests for early detection of breast cancer. 

"Personalized healthcare can be achieved through systemic solutions, which require new forms of collaboration to support patients throughout the whole patient journey, from the first screening, diagnostic tests, treatment, health promotion, information and education. This is the aim of our awareness-raising campaign, supported by our partners, invited experts, and NGOs," stressed Jutas Szvilen Földvári, managing director of GE HealthCare Central and Eastern Europe. "We are committed to using our technologies to help detect cancer lesions as soon as possible and relieve patient anxiety caused by the scan. Our innovative solutions help reduce waiting times and unnecessary tests, while making diagnosis more accurate and faster."

During the discussion, Dr. Eszter Kovács, radiologist at Jávorszky Ödön Hospital, dispelled misconceptions by making important statements.

"Let's not fall for urban legends that a mammogram or a blow to the breast can give us breast cancer, and let's be aware that breast pain is associated with aging and often affects only one side. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, but in its early stages, if it has not spread to a distant organ, it is expected to be cured in 80% of cases. Take the opportunity to get mammography screenings when it's time," she suggested.

The initiative in Hungary was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, and Trade Counselor Neil Pickett said in his opening remarks, "We are proud to support GE HealthCare's awareness-raising initiative. Breast cancer affects millions of women and early detection of the disease can be life-saving. Regular participation in screening tests like this is essential to keeping women healthy."

Following the programs, guests and industry professionals also had the opportunity to tour GE HealthCare's state-of-the-art mammography screening bus. 

This year, for the first time in the Central and Eastern European region, the GE HealthCare Mammo Bus will provide mammography screenings in Hungary. The bus will stay in Hungary for three weeks.