829 new breast cancer cases were registered in women in Albania during 2025, according to data from the Institute of Public Health. According to experts at the Institute of Public Health, the rise in cases is linked to several factors, among them the aging of the population, changes in lifestyle, as well as greater awareness and improved diagnostic programs.
Meanwhile, the data show a downward trend in mortality from this disease. From 18 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, the rate has dropped to 16 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. For 2025, around 214 deaths from breast cancer were recorded. During the same year, 19 cases of this disease were also calculated in men.
In terms of geographic distribution, Durrës, Vlora, Korça and Fier have the highest incidence, while Dibra has the lowest. Senologist Dr. Edlira Rehovica was a guest on today’s program “Rudina” on Tv Klan, where she spoke about the factors that influence the occurrence of breast cancer, stressing that genetics accounts for a small percentage of cases. According to her, the fact that a woman has no relatives affected by this disease does not mean she is not at risk from it.
The doctor emphasized the importance of periodic check-ups, regardless of family history, since breast cancer can also appear in women who have no known cases in the family. “The factors are very diverse: lifestyle, other factors… Genetics has a very low percentage. Only 3 to 5% of breast cancer is linked to a gene. The rest is sporadic, which means it happens to that woman and ends there because of that woman’s risk factors. And although most people think that I have no one in the family and it cannot affect me, this mentality is wrong. Even if you have no one in the family, you must get your check-ups. Certainly, having a family member predisposes and increases the risk, but this does not mean that a person with no one in the family will never be affected by breast cancer,” the doctor said.