QCOSTARICA – Thanks to the patients of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital, who underwent their annual breast check-up during the “Juntas Somos Más Fuertes” (Together We Are Stronger) campaign, 150 women in vulnerable conditions will receive free mammograms this year.
This initiative was carried out during the months of October, November, and December of last year. The donations for this exam have been this month and will continue into April.
“Together We Are Stronger” is part of the hospital’s social action program, which consists of automatically donating one more for each patient who undergoes a mammogram at the private hospital’s Imaging Diagnostic Center in favor of a woman in a vulnerable condition.
“As mammography is an early detection study recommended for women at risk age (over 40 years of age), during the examination the importance of early detection and periodic performance of this test is emphasized,” said Angie Pereira, Manager of the Social Action Program.
Breast cancer continues to be the number one cause of death in Costa Rican women.
In Costa Rica, 43 out of every 100,000 women face breast cancer and 27% of them are of productive age, since they are between 50 and 59 years old.
According to data from the Registro Nacional de Tumores (National Tumor Registry), 12 out of every 100,000 women will lose their lives to breast cancer, classified as the second type of cancer that causes the most deaths in the country.
Generally, the symptoms of breast cancer are as follows:
- a lump or thickening in the breast
- alteration in the size, shape, or appearance of a breast
- the appearance of dimpling, redness, cracks or other changes in the skin
- the change in the appearance of the nipple or the alteration in the surrounding skin (areola)
- abnormal discharge from the nipple
Some factors increase the risk of breast cancer, including aging, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age at onset of menstrual periods and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use, and postmenopausal hormone therapy.
Behavioral choices and related interventions that reduce breast cancer risk include:
- prolonged breastfeeding
- regular physical exercise
- weight management
- avoid harmful use of alcohol
- avoid exposure to tobacco smoke
- avoid long-term use of hormones
- Avoid excessive exposure to radiation
