By Esther Lauaki
It’s time for more Wyndham women to step up to the plate.
Breast screening Victoria data shows more than 1500 women in Victoria aged between 50 and 74 may have breast cancer and not know it – and 33 of them live in Wyndham.
Chief executive Vicki Pridmore said recent figures indicated that the screening rate in the area is sitting much lower compared to the Victorian average. “With Wyndham being one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, this is a major source of concern,” Ms Pridmore said.
“We need to significantly increase the numbers of women screening and in turn reduce the numbers of women dying from this disease.
“Breast cancer is the second biggest cancer killer of Australian women, yet only half of all eligible women in the BreastScreen Victoria target age group are being screened regularly.
“A breast screen can find cancer as small as a grain of rice, long before a woman or her doctor can see or feel anything.”
Ms Pridmore said almost 280,000 women across the state have not had their recommended screening mammogram in the past two years.
Wyndham residents can receive a free breast screen without a doctor’s referral or Medicare card. BreastScreen Victoria’s Wyndham service is at 27 Princes Highway, Werribee.
Call 13 20 50 or visit www.breastscreen.org.au
