Foster offering free mammograms

BREASTSCREEN Victoria’s Mobile Screening Service will be returning to Foster next month to provide free breast screens to local women.

BreastScreen Victoria’s bright pink van, known as ‘Nina’, will be located at South Gippsland Hospital, 83-87 Station Rd from 7 August to 7 September.

BreastScreen Victoria Acting CEO, Doris Whitmore is encouraging women aged 50-74 from Foster and surrounds to take advantage of the van’s visit to town.

“Nina is one of two mobile screening service vans which travel the state throughout the year. This visit to Foster has been organised to ensure women in this part of Victoria have access to a potentially life-saving mammogram,” said Ms Whitmore.

The van was last in town in 2015, which saw 57.2 per cent of local women aged 50 to 74 book an appointment.

This compares to 52.3 per cent of women statewide who screen regularly.

“While this is a fantastic result, more than 600 women in this age group from Foster and surrounds aren’t prioritising regular breast screens.

We hope that bringing the van to Foster again will make it easier for all women to screen. “Women will be well looked after by our experienced, senior radiographers.

The vans use the highest quality digital radiography machines ensuring that women receive the best service regardless of their proximity to major centres,” said Ms Whitmore. Women aged between 50 and 74 benefit the most from regular breast screens, which are the best way of finding cancer early, before any symptoms are noticeable and when treatment is most successful.

Following the van’s visit to Foster this year, the van will return in 2019.

Women aged 50 to 74 will receive a reminder to book their next breast screen shortly before the van returns.

Mammograms with BreastScreen Victoria are free, take 10 minutes and are with a woman. Appointments for the Mobile Screening Service visit to Foster can be made online at breastscreen.org.au or by calling 13 20 50.

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