Egypt's Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that 180 thousand women over 40 years of age received free examinations for the early detection of breast cancer between October 2007 and January 2017, state news agency MENA reported.

The number of early breast cancer cases detected in this period amounted to 2,993.

Health minister's consultant Abeer El-Meghawry said the program started with 4 portable clinics, and has expanded to 12, along with fixed units in every governorate.

Medical examination equipment worth nearly EGP 8 million has been donated by UNHCR.

Patients diagnosed through the programme have received medical care at different public hospitals around Egypt, El-Meghawry added.

The consultant encouraged women above 40 to visit the nearest moving clinic in their area, or the headquarters of the National Cancer Institute in Cairo for early examination.

According to the National Cancer Registry Programme, cancer incidence in Egypt stands at 166 cases per every 100,000 citizens.

Liver cancer tops the list, affecting 23.8 percent of cancer patients, followed by breast cancer at 15.4 percent and bladder cancer at 6.9 percent.