Greece begins SMS notifications for free breast cancer screening programme

Greece has begun sending SMS notifications to women eligible for a free breast cancer screening programme targeting nearly 2.4 million women aged 45 to 74, according to a report published on October 13.

The initiative is part of the Health Ministry’s national prevention programme, “PROLAMVANO”. A total of 2,385,935 eligible women are being sent text messages containing electronic referral documents for screening.

The programme provides free digital mammography, with breast ultrasound also available when considered medically necessary.

Women who do not use the electronic prescription system can obtain information and arrange an appointment through the official programme website, proliptikes.gov.gr, using only their AMKA social security number, according to the report.

MORE THAN 6,000 CASES DETECTED AT AN EARLY STAGE
During the programme’s first phase, more than 1.267 million women underwent mammography.

The screenings led to the detection of breast cancer at an early stage in more than 6,000 women, highlighting the role of screening in identifying the disease before it progresses.

The new round of notifications aims to reach eligible women and facilitate access to preventive screening services.