Armenia`s Health Minister: Breast Cancer Awareness Month Begins

ArmInfo. Armenia is celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan announced this on her Facebook page.

In this regard, she presented several data points. According to her, significant progress has been made in detecting the disease at early stages in Armenia in recent years: between 2018 and 2024, the proportion of cases detected at stages I-III increased from 60% to 87%. At the same time, Avanesyan noted, the number of cases detected at stage IV decreased from 454 to 209.

"In 2025, 1,478 new cases of the disease were registered in Armenia." "Despite the fact that their number has decreased by 9.5% compared to last year, prevention and early detection of the disease still require consistent work," the minister emphasized.

In this regard, she reported that the state continues to ensure the availability of targeted therapy for breast cancer. Thus, according to her, under the state program for the use of trastuzumab (a targeted therapy drug - ed.), which has been in effect since 2020, 1,277 patients have received treatment over the past five years, and 208 are currently undergoing therapy.

"In 2020-2025, 4.1 billion drams were allocated from the state budget for the program's implementation, and an additional 670 million drams are planned for 2026 for the treatment of 210 patients. Early detection can be crucial in the case of breast cancer. "I urge women not to delay medical examinations and necessary tests, and to follow the recommendations of specialists," Avanesyan concluded.

It is worth noting that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in women in Armenia.