The National Cancer Screening Service has confirmed that BreastCheck - the national breast screening programme - is to provide over 2,500 women aged 50-64 living in Athlone and the surrounding areas with their free mammograms from mid-September 2009.
This Government-funded screening service is offered to women aged between 50 and 64 on a two-yearly cycle, and BreastCheck urges all invited women to attend their appointment.
Screening will take place at a BreastCheck mobile digital screening unit in the grounds of St Vincents Hospital, Athlone. A BreastCheck mammogram (breast x-ray ) is a simple procedure and an appointment only takes about half an hour in total. 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 1 per cent diagnosed with cancer.
Chief executive officer of the National Cancer Screening Service, Tony O’Brien, is encouraging all women contacted by BreastCheck to attend. “It is important that women take this valuable opportunity to look after their health. We also encourage women who have previously availed of this service to encourage those who have not yet attended to take advantage of BreastCheck.”
BreastCheck is the first national screening service provider worldwide to offer a fully digital mammography service. The decision to transfer to full digital mammography was taken following a successful pilot programme that demonstrated significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy.
BreastCheck advises all women aged 50-64 living in Athlone to make sure their name is on the BreastCheck register by calling freephone 1800 45 45 55 or checking online at www.breastcheck.ie
