Are you one of the 50 women in Campbelltown who have breast cancer but don’t know it?
It’s a tough question, but with 2,000 women across the state who have breast cancer and don’t know it, BreastScreen NSW thinks it’s one that need to be asked in a campaign that goes up a gear in order to save lives.
Newly released figures from BreastScreen NSW show that if all the unscreened women aged 50 to 74 in the Campbelltown area each have their regular mammogram, they would find 50 women alone who currently have breast cancer, but don’t know it.
BreastScreen NSW is now taking action to find the Campbelltown 50 as part of finding the 2,000 women across the state.
Led by comedian and women’s health advocate Jean Kittson, the Find the Campbelltown 50 campaign is urging women aged 50 to 74 to book their free mammogram, so that these cancers can be found in their earliest stages, when the chances of successful treatment are highest.
“Breast screening is an important diagnostic tool that can detect breast cancer in its early stages, says Ms Kittson.
“It’s also free and only takes about 20 minutes. The coffee and cake you have afterwards will take longer.”
Vicki Green, BreastScreen NSW and South Western Sydney Local Health District chief radiographer, urges women to make screening a priority.
“Breast cancer is the second biggest cancer killer of Australian women, yet only half of all eligible women in the BreastScreen NSW target age group are being screened regularly,’’ Ms Green said.
The BreastScreen NSW Campbelltown screening centre is in the Mawson Centre, 4 Browne Street.
No doctor’s referral needed, just call BreastScreen NSW on 13 20 50 to book a free screening mammogram.
