Time to book that free mammogram

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, eligible women from the Central Coast are being urged to book a free mammogram, with 53% of women in the region overdue for their two-yearly breast cancer screening.  

For women aged 50-74, a breast screen every two years, through a population-based screening program like BreastScreen NSW, is still the best way to detect breast cancer early – before it can be seen or felt. 

Director of BreastScreen NSW, Northern Sydney Central Coast Screening Assessment Service, Meredith Kay, said with more than 300 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,” she said.

“It only takes 20 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed.

“Early detection significantly increases a person’s chance of survival and can greatly reduce the need for invasive treatment like a mastectomy.”

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. 

A record 36,500 women booked their 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 the potentially lifesaving appointment. 

NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien, 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,” she said.

“Talk to the women in your life and support them to be screened.

“In one simple moment, our lives could be turned upside down.

“That’s why I urge all women not to take their health for granted and to make time for the simple screening test that could save your life.”

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. 

Women aged 50-74 are recommended to have a breast screen every two years.

BreastScreen NSW recommends Aboriginal women start screening at 40.

New videos by Aboriginal women which explain why breast screening is important are available on the BreastScreen NSW website.

Any woman who has noticed a change in her breasts, like a lump, should see her 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.