Women living in Monaco or insured under its social security system are being urged to keep up to date with breast cancer screening this month, as the Prince’s Government marks Octobre Rose with a reminder that early detection offers the best chance of effective treatment.
In a statement issued on Thursday 1st October, the Department of Social Affairs and Health said breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women and the leading cause of cancer death in women, with one woman in eight affected during her lifetime.
Under Monaco’s organised screening programme, the Centre Monégasque de Dépistage writes to residents and women covered by the Principality’s social insurance funds aged between 45 and 80, inviting them to have a mammogram every two years. The screening centre is based at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre (CHPG) and operates under the authority of the Directorate of Health Action.
The age range is broader than in neighbouring France, where the national organised programme offers women with no symptoms or risk factors other than age a mammogram every two years from 50 to 74.
Don’t wait for the letter
Between screening appointments, the government says any unusual change in the breast should prompt a swift visit to a GP or gynaecologist. It also recommends an annual gynaecological check-up for all women, including those over 60.
The department described raising awareness and providing access to screening for both residents and women who work in Monaco as crucial in the fight against breast cancer, and part of a public health strategy that places prevention at its core.
‘Find the pink ribbon’
This year’s campaign poster, produced with the CHPG, shows a crowd of women dressed in pink and challenges viewers to spot the ribbon hidden among them. Its message is that anyone who has taken the time to search for a small detail can also take the time to get screened.
The government campaign runs alongside a month of Octobre Rose activity in the Principality. Pink Ribbon Monaco staged its 16th annual pink illumination on Saturday 3rd October, when Princess Charlene, the association’s honorary president, lit up the buildings around Casino Square ahead of the charity’s gala at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. Funds raised will support the association’s work, including at the CHPG, with a focus on research into and screening for lobular breast cancer.
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