The National Cancer Screening Service is delighted to announce that BreastCheck — the national breast screening programme — is currently inviting women living in Ballina and surrounding areas for their free mammograms. The Government-funded screening service is offered to women aged between 50 and 64 and BreastCheck urges all invited women to make the time to attend their appointments. Women living in Ballina will be screened from a mobile digital screening unit located in the grounds of Mayo County General Hospital, Castlebar.
A BreastCheck x-ray is a simple procedure that takes approximately half an hour and is offered to women aged between 50 and 64 every two years. The aim of screening is to detect early breast cancer. The vast majority of women screened are found to be perfectly healthy, with less than one per cent diagnosed with cancer.
A specialist BreastCheck multi-disciplinary team provides the screening service to women. Quality assurance standards in operation throughout BreastCheck include the double-reading of all mammograms by two separate, specially trained radiologists, the use of triple assessment for women that need further investigation and the continuing audit and maintenance of all equipment used.
BreastCheck advises all women aged 50 to 64 living in the Ballina area to make sure their name is on the BreastCheck register by calling freephone 1800 454 555 or visiting www.breastcheck.ie
