Cancer fears grow as Cairns suffers long delays in breast imaging services

Specialist surgeon Dr Aemelia Melloy shares her expert opinion on breast cancer patients facing unacceptable delays amid growing healthcare crisis.

Cairns Hospital's surgical department has received a brand new Neoprobe gamma probes to assist in breast cancer and melanoma surgery. The new medical equipment was bought using money fundraised through the BDO Arrow Experience, run by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation. Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation CEO Gina Hogan, Cairns Hospital surgeon Aemelia Melloy and BDO Accountants CEO Stacey Young with the new surgical equipment. Picture: Brendan Radke

Imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering a hard lump in your breast.

You immediately fear the worst — cancer.

Unfortunately, you then find out the wait for imaging and biopsy is eight weeks. That’s eight weeks of potential cancer growth and spread. Eight weeks of fear and uncertainty.

This is the reality now faced by women in Cairns and the Far North, and it’s a reality that demands urgent attention.

While breast cancer predominantly affects women, it’s important to note that men can develop it too.

This issue primarily impacts those with breast symptoms requiring diagnostic investigations, such as ultrasound, mammogram, and, in some cases, biopsy.

For symptomatic women, the stakes are high. They are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and yet they are now facing significant delays in accessing necessary care.

For symptomatic women, the stakes are high. Picture: Brendan Radke

It is important to distinguish this from BreastScreen Queensland, a free service for asymptomatic women aged 40 and over, which offers routine mammograms for cancer screening.

Thankfully, BreastScreen Queensland is continuing as usual with no delays in Far North Queensland.

However, symptomatic individuals should not attend BreastScreen, as mammograms alone may miss cancers.

Instead, these individuals need to see their GP for examination and referral for symptomatic breast imaging.

Retaining healthcare staff and services in regional areas has always been a challenge, and many services face periodic shortages.

The closure of a breast imaging facility in Cairns has only exacerbated this issue, with both short-term and long-term consequences.

Solving this crisis requires both immediate and long-term solutions. File photo. Picture: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP.

In the short term, the impact is already being felt. Waiting lists are growing, meaning some women will be diagnosed too late, when cancer may have already advanced. There’s also the risk of women inappropriately presenting to BreastScreen, where cancers may go undetected.

Financial strain on Queensland Health will increase as patients are forced to travel for timely imaging.

Additionally, the existing breast radiology service in Cairns will face heightened pressure.

The long-term impact is even more concerning: an increase in breast cancer mortality rates in Far North Queensland.

Furthermore, the current waiting time of eight weeks is likely to grow even longer, and we may not fully understand the extent of these delays until the end of the year. Delayed access to diagnostic imaging and treatment can significantly affect survival rates, making this issue one of life and death for many in the region.

Solving this crisis requires both immediate and long-term solutions.

Example images of female patient receiving breast scan. iStock.

Retaining medical staff in regional areas is a complex challenge, but breast imaging — being labour-intensive and poorly reimbursed by Medicare — has contributed to a nationwide shortage of breast radiologists.

Regional areas, like ours, bear the brunt of these shortages. One potential solution is to develop a model similar to BreastScreen Queensland, but specifically for symptomatic women.

This service could employ medical officers trained to perform breast biopsies under the guidance of a radiologist, sometimes remotely.

With additional funding, more medical officers could be trained to provide hands-on diagnostic services, alleviating the burden on overstretched radiologists and ensuring timely care for symptomatic patients.

Example of ultrasound scanner being used, to performing examination of breast cancer. File photo. iStock.

Ultimately, all Australians deserve health equity, regardless of where they live. As Cairns’ population continues to grow, healthcare services must expand to keep pace with this growth and address the rising demand for essential diagnostic and treatment services.

The governments must prioritise funding and initiatives to ensure that basic healthcare needs are met, even in regional communities.

The people of Cairns and Far North Queensland deserve better than eight weeks of waiting and worrying — they deserve timely, life-saving care.

For women over 40, regular breast screening can catch cancers early, before they become symptomatic.

I urge you to take advantage of this vital service and schedule your next mammogram. Early detection saves lives — and it could save yours.

Breast cancer surgeon Dr Aemelia Melloy

The Cairns Post this week launched Critical Condition, calling on state and federal governments to find a way to reinstate the crucial service.

Originally published as Cancer fears grow as Cairns suffers long delays in breast imaging services