OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and BreastScreen NSW is encouraging clients, staff and the community to “tell a friend” about the importance of regular screening and how to book an appointment.
The target audience is women aged 50-74 years, with 43 percent of women in the Mid North Coast region overdue for their two-year breast cancer screening.
Director of BreastScreen NSW North Coast, Patrick Magee, said with more than 250 local women expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, women need to put themselves first and book a screening.
“If you’re aged 50 to 74, make breast screening a priority; it only takes 20 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed,” Mr Magee said.
“Early detection significantly increases a person’s chance of survival and can greatly reduce the need for invasive treatment like a mastectomy.”
For Nambucca Valley Radio (2NRV) President Donna Collins, breast cancer has been a big part of her family’s story.
“My younger sister was diagnosed in 2006, and my elder sister was diagnosed in 2012,” she told News Of The Area.
“I made sure to have regular breast screens, [and it was] a good thing I did because in 2016, it was my turn.
“I had my screening done at Coffs Harbour and fortunately it was caught early, just a small lump.
“My breast cancer was hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative.
“I had surgery, followed by radiation.
“The treatment was manageable, and I was grateful it had been caught early.”
Ms Collins says that if the BreastScreen NSW bus comes to your area, go get checked.
“And you don’t have to go alone, take a friend, because it’s not just about you, it’s about the people who love you.
“So please, go with a friend, and book your breast screen checkup.”
A record 36,500 women booked a breast screen in October 2024.
This year, the “Be A Friend, Tell A Friend” promotion will encourage more conversations so more women across NSW book this potentially lifesaving appointment.
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, said as a community we need to take the threat of breast cancer seriously.
“We all have a role to play in lessening the impact of breast cancer,” Professor O’Brien said.
“Talk to the women in your life and support them to be screened.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with age and being female the biggest risk factors – not a family history of breast cancer.
Any woman who has noticed a change in their breasts, like a lump, should see their doctor without delay.
For more information and to make an appointment at a local BreastScreen NSW clinic or mobile van, call 13 20 50 or book online at www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au
For more information about the Be A Friend Tell A Friend promotion visit https://www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au/breast-cancer-awareness-month/
By Andrea FERRARI
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