Source: The Telegraph – SUE DUNLEVY
Only one in two eligible women are taking advantage of life saving breast screening – even though breast cancer is the second biggest cancer killer of women.
A new report has found cancers discovered through the BreastScreen Australia program are smaller and easier to treat.
And the 20 year old program is credited with slashing breast cancer mortality by between 21 and 28 per cent.
However, a new report from the Australian Institute Health and Welfare shows too many women are reluctant to front up for the free screening.
All women aged 50-69 are eligible for breast screening but just 55 per cent of women in the target age group for the screening had a mammogram in 2010-11.
Screening rates are even lower in women who live in remote areas and among migrant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) CEO Maxine Morand says early diagnosis of breast cancer can be an important factor in treatment options and survival.
“The reasons women are not accessing their free BreastScreen mammograms could be many, and it is hard to speculate without further investigation” she said…READ MORE
