BREASTCHECK RETURNS TO CO WATERFORD
- 13 July 2009
The National Cancer Screening Service is pleased to confirm that BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme will soon return to Co Waterford to provide in excess of 6,500 women aged 50-64 living in Waterford City and surrounding areas with free mammograms (breast x-rays) from the end of August 2009.
The Government-funded programme is offered to women aged 50 to 64 on a two-yearly cycle and BreastCheck urges all invited women to attend their appointment. The screening service will be provided from a BreastCheck mobile digital screening unit located in the grounds of the Whitfield Clinic, Butlerstown North, Cork Road.
BreastCheck has already provided in excess of 2,000 women living in Dungarvan and surrounding areas with their free mammogram. It is expected that BreastCheck will remain on location in Waterford City for approximately six months until all eligible women (aged 50-64) have been offered an appointment.
BreastCheck will begin sending women in Waterford City and surrounding areas a letter with information about breast screening later in July. Following this, a woman will automatically receive an appointment by post, giving a minimum of seven days notice.
BreastCheck advises all women aged 50-64 to check that they are on the BreastCheck register. Once on the register and known to the Programme, women will automatically receive a BreastCheck appointment. Women can check that they are on the register by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55 or checking online at www.breastcheck.ie.
A BreastCheck mammogram is a simple procedure and an appointment 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 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 is the first national screening service provider worlwide 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.
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