Gympie women at higher risk are not having breast screens

Local women have been urged to book in for a breast screen after it was revealed only half the women aged 50 to 74 in Gympie region are having regular breast screens

Pictured at a Mobile Breast Screen van, breast cancer survivor Lee Seary . Picture Mike Batterham

Gympie women aged over 50 years old are being urged to book in for their regular free breast screen every two years.

One in seven Queensland women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85. This means that women can’t afford to skip breast screens.

Medical Director of BreastScreen Queensland Sunshine Coast, Dr Alison Roper said: “We relocated our Gympie service to the Goldfields Plaza shopping centre last year to make it as convenient as possible for busy women to access our service and the feedback from women has been positive. We hope this will encourage more women to come for a breast screen.

“In the Gympie area, only about 50 per cent of women in the 50 to 74-year age group are having regular breast screens, compared with the Sunshine Coast average of 55 per cent,” Dr Roper said.

“Finding breast cancer early when it is smaller means that women have more options for treatment. Early detection can literally save lives.”

GET CHECKED: Queensland health radiographer Julie Priest. Photo Brenda Strong / The Observer

Women aged 50-74 are encouraged to have a breast screen every two years as studies show that this age group benefits the most from regular screening. The service is also available free to women aged 40-49 and over 75.

“Appointments are one-on-one with a female health professional, take less than 30 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed.” Dr Roper said.

The Gympie Service is open every Monday and Tuesday and one Saturday each month.

To book a free breast screen phone 13 20 50 or book online at breastscreen.qld.gov.au

THE FACTS:
· 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50. Younger women do get breast cancer but the risk of breast cancer increases dramatically after the age of 50.

· 9 out of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer have NO family history of the disease. While women with a family history of breast cancer are more at risk, most women diagnosed have no family history of the disease at all.

Originally published as Gympie women at higher risk are not having breast screens