Cancer is something that affects us all. It doesn’t care if you’re poor, rich, fat, thin, morally conscious, a Liberal voter, allergic to peanuts or environmentally friendly. It can still reach out its long fingers and take an unwanted grip on your life. Everyone has a family member who has suffered from some form of this disease, but for women one of the major types is breast cancer, with on average 1 in 8 women developing it at some point.
The key risk factors for breast cancer are being female and growing older (and if you’re a woman these both definitely apply to you) which is why the BreastScreen program is primarily designed for women aged between 50 and 74. However, all ladies over 40 are welcome to attend mammograms through BreastScreen NSW. If you are in these age groups, it is strongly recommended that you undertake a fifteen minute long screening every 2 years to assist in early detection…those 15 minutes might just save your life. Even if you don’t have a family history it is still important to be screen as family histories only account for 5-10% of all breast cancers diagnosed. BreastScreen appointments are available every week in Orange. Please share this information with your friends, girlfriends, family, colleagues, mums, grandmothers and cousins. Contact 13 20 50 to make your appointment, the service is free to all women aged from 40 years and no referral is needed. Breast cancer won’t wait- everything else can.