A new situation regarding breast cancer in Finland – 2024-04-17 02:10:46

In Finland, breast cancer screenings started in 1987. Adobe Stock / AOP

Finland used to be a pioneer in breast cancer screening, but now we are clearly lagging behind.

This is stated in an article by the Medical Journal Duodecim.

According to the article, expanding breast cancer screening to women aged 45-49 and 70-74 is medically justified, but the decision to start it is political.

According to the article, in terms of breast cancer screening, Finland has a lot to learn from Sweden, where artificial intelligence has been used in breast cancer screening with promising results.

According to a meta-analysis, the sensitivity of artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening was better and the accuracy lower than that of radiologists. According to the article, artificial intelligence is cost-effective, and it can reduce the number of both confirmatory examinations and intermediate cancers.

First in the world

According to the article, the breast cancer screening program in Finland was the first in the world to be launched in 1987. At that time, women aged 50-59 were invited to the screening. Screening gradually expanded to women aged 60-69 from 2007.

The breast cancer mortality of women who participated in breast cancer screening has been found to have decreased by 28-33 percent.

The benefits of screening outweigh its disadvantages, but there are disadvantages. Disadvantages include overdiagnosis and false positive results. A false positive result, which is not a sign of cancer, can lead to stress reactions that worsen the quality of life.

According to the article, breast cancer screening in Finland is mainly outsourced and fragmented, which requires the authorities to have very precise quality control, to establish a quality register and to conduct research on the suitability of artificial intelligence for our national system on a fast schedule.