MINISTER MARY HARNEY VISITS BREASTCHECK IN MAYO
- 01 May 2008
MINISTER MARY HARNEY VISITS BREASTCHECK IN MAYO
BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme today welcomed Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney T.D. to the mobile digital screening unit located at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. Minister Harney visited the unit to view the BreastCheck facilities available to women in the region and meet with the radiographers providing the service.
BreastCheck is a Government-funded service that offers free breast x-rays (mammograms) to women aged between 50 and 64 on a two yearly cycle. Women in Mayo will be screened on an area by area basis and appointments are scheduled to ensure organised and efficient screening among the approximate 9,000 eligible women in the county. The mobile unit will remain on site in Mayo until all women in the county have been screened.
Screening of women aged 50-64 in the area has begun and women living in Ballyhean, Breaghy, Castlebar, Clogher, Cloonkeen, Islandeady, Killavally and Manulla have already been contacted by BreastCheck with details of their appointment for a free mammogram.
BreastCheck has a list (register) of women aged 50-64 with details received from the Department of Social and Family Affairs, private health insurers and General Medical Services. BreastCheck encourages all women in the age group to make sure their name is on the register by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55 or visiting www.breastcheck.ie.
A BreastCheck x-ray is a simple procedure that takes approximately half an hour and is offered to women aged 50-64 every two years. The aim of screening is to detect early breast cancer and the vast majority of women screened are found to be perfectly healthy with less than 1% diagnosed with breast cancer.
BreastCheck recently became the first national screening service provider worldwide to offer a fully digital mammography service. For women using the BreastCheck service, digital mammography means improved diagnostic accuracy as well as improved clinical imagery, quality and reliability.
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Note to Editor: Background Information
BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme, contacts women aged 50-64 every two years to offer a free breast x-ray (mammogram). Although the x-ray will not pick up all breast cancers, services like BreastCheck have significantly reduced deaths from breast cancer in other countries. Less than one per cent of women screened are diagnosed with cancer. These women are offered the best treatment available with the best possible outcome. The service is Government funded. www.breastcheck.ie
Further Information
Sheila Caulfield / Clare Manning, Communications, BreastCheck
Tel: 087 637 5131 / 01-865 9339 / 01-865 9300