Time to get tested

The BreastScreen mobile van is returning to Balmain to encourage all women to fight breast cancer by getting scanned.

Screenings will commence on January 21 and until February 28, providing free mammograms for the early detection of breast cancer.

If you miss the van in Balmain, it will be present at other inner-western locations later in the year such as Redfern, Marrickville, Campsie, Roselands, Leichardt, Flemington and Rhodes, and has fixed locations in Camperdown and Concord.

All women over 40 are welcome upon request and those aged 50-74 are encouraged to attend every two years.

One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and it is the sixth most common cause of death among females.

Breastscreen NSW’s director for the Sydney Local Health District, Dr Genevieve Wallace, said the service provides a quick and easy opportunity for women to be tested. Lack of time is the main reason most eligible women do not have a mammogram.

“A screening mammogram can detect the early signs of breast cancer and the best time to treat breast cancer is when it is very small,” Dr Wallace said.

“Now is the perfect time for eligible women living or working in the Balmain area to take advantage of this important health check.”

She said breast screening could find cancers before they can be felt or noticed.

Appointments take only 15 minutes, and a GP referral is not required. All staff on the van are female.

The van will be located on Darling Street near Ford Street, in front of the National Australia Bank, and will operate from 8:45am to 4pm weekdays.

By Myles Stedman