Preparing and implementing pilot screening programmes for breast cancer at the regional level

Objective 3 of the BELMED project is to prepare and implement pilot screening programmes for breast cancer at the regional level in order to implement population-based screening of the disease throughout the country.

This objective is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and WHO.

Activities undertaken towards this objective include the following.

• The national guidelines on breast cancer screening were developed, reviewed by specialists of WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and subsequently approved by the Ministry of Health. The guidelines include the organization of the breast cancer screening process, the implementation of the international radiological classification for mammography results, patient information guidelines, and recording and reporting forms.
• A training for epidemiologists and health-care managers involved in breast cancer screening was held at the N.N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre of Belarus for Oncology and Medical Radiology in Minsk on 4–5 April 2018. The training focused on quality assurance and database analyses from the breast cancer screening programme run by the National Health Service (NHS) England. The curriculum also covered concepts of cancer prevention and international guidelines on the assessment of breast cancer screening programmes.
• The capacity of 46 national radiologists was strengthened during the 2-day practical training workshop “X-ray aspects of breast cancer screening”, organized by the IARC at the National Cancer Centre in Minsk on 11–12 December 2017. The radiologists were able to undergo self-testing in accordance with the international testing platform PERFORMS, which is currently used by radiologists involved in breast cancer screening at NHS England. Participants also received practical training and feedback on aspects of performing biopsy probes under control of ultrasound examination.
• WHO and IARC experts held a workshop for 47 specialist oncologists from health-care facilities participating in breast cancer screening at the National Cancer Centre in Minsk on 21 November 2017.
• An intensive, on-the-job training programme for national specialists in mammography was initiated. The first national specialist radiologist responsible for quality assurance for mammography from the National Cancer Centre in Minsk participated in a 2-week observership at a national breast cancer screening training centre in London, United Kingdom, on 13–24 November 2017.
• The national workshop “Organization of cancer screening for specific localizations” was held on 14 September 2017 to support the dissemination of the recently approved guidelines on breast cancer screening. A total of 68 national specialists, including regional health-care managers, chief regional oncologists and representatives of medical universities, learned about the guidelines.
• A group of 5 professionals, including key specialists from the National Cancer Centre, members of the Programme Management Team, and the Cancer Control Programme Supervisor at the Ministry of Health, participated in a study visit to breast cancer screening training centres in London and Nottingham, United Kingdom, on 18–28 April 2017.