October is recognized worldwide as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marking a critical period for bringing women’s health to the forefront. In Türkiye, one in every eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life, and nearly one quarter of these diagnoses occur in women under the age of 40. In response to this reality, Pastavilla launched a screening and awareness program for its 900 female employees. The program provides breast ultrasound screenings for women under 40 and mammography support for women aged 40 and above. Inspired by the personal experience of General Manager Dilara Arslan, the project contributes to making women’s health more visible across society.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed every October to draw attention to this critical disease, raise public awareness, and emphasize the importance of early detection. Activities carried out during this month help bring a topic that is often postponed or avoided into public discussion. Campaigns and events in this field play a vital role in encouraging women to undergo regular screenings, making overlooked risks visible, and reminding society that health is a priority that should never be delayed.
As one of the world’s leading pasta producers, Pastavilla also launched an awareness and screening program for its female employees during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to highlight the life-saving importance of early diagnosis. Following the breast cancer diagnosis received this year by General Manager Dilara Arslan, this health initiative was initiated with the determination to turn her personal journey into a source of awareness. The program covers 900 women working at Pastavilla and is implemented in collaboration with a hospital. Within the scope of the program, breast ultrasound screenings are offered to women under 40, while mammography support is provided for women aged 40 and above. In addition, women participate in weekly awareness training sessions held in groups of 100, followed by their medical screenings.
A call for early detection from Pastavilla General Manager Dilara Arslan:
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, and my treatment is ongoing. Until the day I received the diagnosis, I had never experienced any serious health issues or chronic illnesses. There was no history of cancer in my family, my genetic tests were clear, and I was living a healthy life. Moreover, I was not in the over-40 age group that is often emphasized as higher risk. In other words, I did not carry any of the commonly defined risk factors. Despite this, I encountered this disease and realized that no woman is completely outside this risk.
The project we launched under the Pastavilla umbrella is valuable not only in showing our employees that we stand by them, but also in delivering the message ‘early detection saves lives’ to society at large. From here, I would also like to make a call to institutions: starting with your own employees, let us turn these screenings into a nationwide public health movement. My greatest wish is for women not to postpone their own health and to make regular check-ups a habit.”
“One in every eight women receives this diagnosis!”
Breast cancer data in Türkiye is both alarming and a clear call to action. One in every eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime, and approximately one fifth of these diagnoses are made in women under the age of 40. Moreover, the rate of women aged 50–69 who have undergone a mammography screening within the past two years is only 33.3%. This low participation rate points to barriers in access to screening, gaps in public awareness, and shortcomings in health education. In addition, scientific sources show that when breast cancer is detected at an early stage, treatment success rates increase significantly. This picture clearly demonstrates that awareness projects are not merely goodwill efforts, but necessary and urgent initiatives.
