(Vienna, 08 September 2021) In Austria, one in every eight women is confronted with a diagnosis of breast cancer at some point in her life. A webinar series entitled "Breast Cancer Forum", which will be launched on 27 September 2021 under the direction of Matthias Preusser, Head of the Division of Oncology at the Department of Medicine I, and Rupert Bartsch, Programme Director for Breast Cancer at the Division of Oncology at the Medical University of Vienna and Vienna General Hospital, therefore aims to raise awareness and provide education on topics such as breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. The campaign is being funded by the department of the Federal Minister for Women, Susanne Raab, who will take part in the first webinar on Monday 27 September (17:00-18:00 hrs), which will deal with the topic of "Breast cancer screening - life-saving or pointless?".
The "Breast Cancer Forum" project is primarily aimed at communicating new research results and scientific findings from leading experts from all over Austria to the general public, thereby helping to ensure that breast cancer patients are even better informed than before about their disease and the challenges associated with it. Preusser explains: "We want to convey that the information we are providing is reliable and comes from leading breast cancer experts. And we hope, at the same time, to give affected patients more confidence in coping with their disease."
Says Federal Minister for Women Susanne Raab: "Early diagnosis and low-threshold education about the disease increase the chances of recovery for the women affected. We want to draw more attention to this and raise awareness of the importance of prevention. MedUni Vienna's Breast Cancer Forum offers concise and easy-to-understand information for those affected, their families and people at increased risk, and also helps to further educate the public at large."
"Cancer research and oncology are key issues for MedUni Vienna. We are driving forward many research projects and, every year, we hold the Cancer Research Run as a charity event to raise extra funds for cancer research and fund the development of precision therapies with the public's help. Education and prevention in a broad target group are hugely important supporting measures," emphasizes Michaela Fritz, Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at the Medical University of Vienna.
"It is very important to us at University Hospital AKH Vienna to continuously advance the treatment and care of cancer patients. Precision medicine, in particular, and the innovations associated with it are being accelerated and applied at the university hospital," says Herwig Wetzlinger, Director of Vienna General Hospital. "These innovative capabilities contribute to a deeper understanding of the disease and, in turn, to better screening and prevention. Making this knowledge about treatment options and preventive measures accessible is an important aspect of oncological care", comments Gabriela Kornek, Medical Director of University Hospital Vienna.
12 modules - once registered, participation is free and interaction possible
12 online webinars are planned, and these will also be recorded for subsequent viewing on MedUni Vienna's YouTube channel. Each module focuses on a specific, current topic relating to breast cancer. Participation is online and free of charge, and the lectures will be based on the latest scientific research but delivered in everyday language. During the one-hour webinars it is possible to ask questions interactively via the chat function.
All the other dates and topics can be found at: https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/ueber-uns/events/2021/brustkrebs-forum/
The webinar series is initially scheduled to run until June 15, 2022, when Matthias Preusser will deliver the final module, which will also be translated into six other languages - English, Arabic, Turkish, Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian.
About breast cancer
In Austria, about 5,600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and about 1,600 die from the consequences of the disease. Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in 2018, accounting for about 29 % of all cancer cases (source: Statistik Austria). Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women, accounting for 17% of all cancer deaths in women. In 2018, 63 men were also confronted with this diagnosis. In recent years, breast cancer survival rates have increased slightly thanks to new treatment and diagnostic techniques such as immunotherapy and screening programmes.