This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women aged 50-74 in NSW are being encouraged to book in a free breast screen with almost half now overdue for their two-yearly breast cancer screen. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and more than 6,500 women in NSW are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O’Brien AM said now is the time to book in a free, life-saving breast screen.
“For women aged 50-74, a breast screen every two years is still the best way to detect breast cancer early, before it can be seen or felt and if caught in these early stages, the five-year survival rate is 98 per cent,” Professor O’Brien said.
“Unfortunately, breast cancer doesn’t wait, so I encourage all eligible women to put themselves first – for themselves and their family, it only takes 20 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed.” Professor O’Brien said.
Arabic communities can face significant barriers accessing cancer screening services and care, often due to language barriers, low awareness, trauma, and cultural stigma and beliefs.
To further help improve breast cancer screening rates in NSW, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, a new and improved BreastScreen NSW website is now live and includes information in Arabic language.
BreastScreen NSW is a free health service for women from diverse cultures and language groups. Interpreters are available to help with bookings. Simply call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 14 50 and ask for BreastScreen NSW.
Any woman who has noticed a change in their breasts, like a lump, should see their 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.
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