Breast cancer screening tests and prevention services in Iran are now covered by a universal public health insurance plan, according to a 3 July report in the Tehran Times.
The announcement follows an agreement between Iran's health ministry and the vice presidency for women's and family affairs.
The article cites Ali Motlaq, head of the cancer department at Iran's health ministry, as stating that 40% to 50% of cancers in the country are preventable. Health ministry data show that breast cancer is the most common cancer among Iranian women, with approximately 14,000 new cases in the country annually.
The survival rate of women with breast cancer five years after diagnosis is 70% in Iran, according to the article.
