On Thursday, May 26th, the Mobile Mammography Unit of the Hellenic Cancer Society (HCS) visited the Taxydromeio Square, where free mammograms were successfully performed on 100 women from vulnerable population groups. Of note, these will be continued on the 27th of May as well.
Within this context, on the evening of May 26th, in collaboration with the Municipality of Larissa, HCS, KEDE, EDDYPPY and the Greek pharmaceutical company ELPEN, a relevant information event for the local medical/pharmaceutical community was held. Mr. Apostolos Kalogiannis, Mayor of Larissa, welcomed the event. Speakers included Mr. Evangelos Philopoulos, President of the Hellenic Cancer Society and Breast Clinic Director, "AGIOS SAVVAS" Hospital, Mr. Theodore Tryfon, Vice President of ELPEN and President of the Panhellenic Union of Pharmaceutical Industries, and Mr. Sotiris Papaspyropoulos, Director General of EDDPPY. Journalist Mrs. Clelia Charissi managed the presentation of the event.
The "MAST movement… for Breast Cancer!" campaign is a valuable journey for prevention across the Greek periphery, since breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy appearing in Greek women nowadays, with an estimated 5000 new cases emerging every year. In spite of this, if diagnosis is done as early as possible, during the initial stages of the disease, an effective treatment can be applied. The "MAST movement… for Breast Cancer!" campaign is even more important amidst the current financial difficulties, since the latter have created obstacles to the vulnerable patients' access to preventive examinations, especially mammograms.
In order to diagnose breast cancer early, there are three possibilities: (1) Auto-examination of women; (2) Clinical examination by a physician; and (3) Mammography. The latter option is the most common examination for breast cancer diagnosis, and its diagnostic capacity is very high. In fact, it can reveal a malignancy before it can be detected through clinical examination. Taking into consideration the possibilities of our country's healthcare system, as well as the particularities of the disease in Greece, the HCS recommends that all women over the age of 40 undergo regular preventive mammography every two years.
During his speech at the event, the Mayor of Larissa, Mr. Kalogiannis, welcomed all bodies and highlighted that: "All together, we need to support every individual find solutions for his/her health, especially during the current crisis. The Municipality of Larissa is always open to activities, which focus on health and prevention issues, such as the performance of mammograms, and which complement the actions already taken by our Health Sector. The Municipality of Larissa believes in synergies; we will continue to collaborate and to support actions that promote citizen health."
Referring to KEDE's participation, Mr. Georgios Patoulis, President of KEDE and the National Intermunicipal Network Healthy Cities-Health Promotion, noted that: "Today, launching the free mammogram program for vulnerable groups of local women with the mobile mammography unit of HCS, in Larissa, we prove in practice that we honor our commitments. Our aim is to prevent breast cancer through early diagnosis, in all women, all across the country. At KEDE and EDDYPPY, we support the scientific program of the Hellenic Cancer Society, and we also recognize the commitment of Greek pharmaceutical industry ELPEN; today, we offer women of Larissa the possibility to undergo a very useful health examination, but we also give the local Municipality a chance to participate in sensitizing all citizens about the value of preventive examinations, especially nowadays. For this reason, I should say that Mr. Apostolos Kalogiannis, Mayor of Larissa, deserves to be warmly congratulated, for having wholeheartedly supported this effort."
On behalf of EDDYPPY, Mr. Papaspyropoulos welcomed this effort and mentioned: "This collaboration with all participating members is of outstanding importance, and fully represents the activities of EDDYPPY, which focus on promoting health and on programs of population screening. The purpose of this effort is to offer prevention for women who need it, but cannot have access to such services. Prevention is absolutely essential for serious diseases, such as breast cancer, and, thanks to scientific advances, it could contribute to their eradication. The Municipalities' contribution to the effort of maintaining our citizens healthy is fundamental. EDDYPPY supports health programs, which deliver measurable results and set the basis for a long-term planning of substantial prevention activities, in every region of Greece."
Referring to the campaign's launch, as well as the contribution of HCS to breast cancer prevention, in his speech, Mr. Philopoulos noted: "Along the 58 years of operations for HCS, free mammogram screening has been the longest and most effective program that we have carried out; in fact, it is a program supported by Greek companies, like ELPEN, and not by European funds. Such actions are a sample of sensibility for Greek women and our fellow citizens. It is highly important for citizens to be informed and to enjoy services that can save their lives. Early diagnosis is the basic constituent of an effective policy for reducing the inflictive effects of breast cancer, a disease that currently affects 1 out 10 women at some point in her life. Through this collaboration, all participating bodies wish to offer people the best options, and to convince even women who were afraid in the past, to be mobilized and perform a mammogram, so that breast cancer becomes "history". The health of our fellow citizens is everyone's duty. Up until now, we have performed 52.000 mammograms, and we have visited 400 areas in Greece; with the current collaboration, we continue with the same dynamic and in an even more organized manner.
On the occasion of the completion of ELPEN's 50 years of offering in health, research and our fellow men, Mr. Tryfon talked about this significant initiative, highlighting that: "ELPEN marks the completion of 50 years of operations with an activity of meaningful social sensibility, which aims at informing and preventing breast cancer in women who are in real need. KEDE and EDDYPYY offer succor in our effort; their contribution is valuable for the successful realization of this great task, since, all together, we must face any current difficulties, move forward and deal with any problems, through the establishment of collaborations. In fact, for ELPEN, the partnership with HCS is a special milestone, which reflects the vision of our company's Founder, Mr. Pentafragas – that is, to substantially offer to our fellow men. Representing a purely Greek pharmaceutical industry, we have done everything possible, in order to prohibit this financial crisis from affecting our activities; we insist on investing, doing research, manufacturing and contributing to Greece, thereby supporting not only Public Health, but also the Greek Society. The journey has begun and it will carry on, because we know that solutions only emerge through synergies."
ELPEN's contribution is particularly important; the company sponsors the reparation and re-opening of the Mobile Mammography Unit, thereby actively supporting the "MAST movement… for Breast Cancer!" campaign. This is an action of meaningful social offering, as ELPEN does not manufacture or market oncological drugs.