Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Focus Group Set Up to Give Women a Voice

Luxembourg's Ministry of Health and Social Security has published breast cancer figures on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, otherwise known as Pink October.

According to the 2020 National Cancer Report, one in nine women is at risk of developing breast cancer before the age of 75. By participating in this month of global mobilisation, the Ministry of Health and Social Security said it is encouraging collective awareness and calling for increased adherence to the national mammography screening programme.

New this year is the creation of a focus group bringing together eight women aged 45 to 74. The objective of this initiative is twofold: to gather their stories to better understand attitudes, barriers and needs related to screening, and to share these experiences with the general public to facilitate individual choices. Interested women can register at santesecu.lu/groupe-mammo.

According to the ministry, the evaluation of the organised breast cancer screening programme in Luxembourg, conducted in collaboration with the National Cancer Registry, shows "convincing" results. In 2024, 21,520 mammograms were performed as part of the programme. Of these, 1,567 required additional examinations and 118 led to a confirmed cancer diagnosis. The principle of double image reading further enhances the reliability of screening, reduces the risk of errors and increases the likelihood of early detection.

"The breast cancer screening programme is fully in line with our prevention policy and is one of our most effective levers for saving lives. Our objective is clear: to reduce the risk of death and offer every woman the best chance of recovery," said Martine Deprez, Luxembourg's Minister of Health and Social Security.

Throughout the month of October, awareness and information days will be organised in various hospitals and high-traffic areas across the country, in collaboration with the Fondation Cancer, Think Pink Luxembourg and Europa Donna Luxembourg. Among these key activities is the "Broschtkriibslaf" recreational race, which is taking place on Saturday 4 October 2025 starting at 10:00 in Hesperange Park. For further details, see https://chronicle.lu/event/13520-broschtkriibslaf-race-against-breast-cancer.

To learn about other planned activities, visit https://santesecu.public.lu/de/agenda.html.