Westmead Breast Cancer Institute takes breast screening to Kellyville
Westmead’s Breast Cancer Institute (BCI) is continuing its efforts to offer free breast screening to women across western Sydney, setting up its mobile van at Wrights Rd Community Centre during July and August.
The BreastScreen van, staffed by female breast screening specialists, will be stationed at the Kellyville centre until Friday, 11 August, 2017, giving eligible women the chance to have a free breast check.
It is recommended that women aged 50 to 74 have regular mammograms every two years. A mammogram takes just 15 minutes and is vital, given one in eight women in NSW will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Nine out of 10 women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.
Westmead BCI director Associate Professor Nirmala Pathmanathan encouraged women to make time for their health and keep up regular screening.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with almost 16,000 women diagnosed every year,” she said. “However, only half of all women in the target age group are being regularly screened in western Sydney. Finding breast cancer in its early stages can save lives, so we need to raise awareness about the importance of screening.”
Local junior rugby league club Rouse Hill Rhinos have their home ground on Wrights Rd Reserve, which is adjacent to the community centre.
Club secretary Rowena Mezzomo said she was delighted to have the van nearby.
“We have a tight-knit community in Kellyville and we want to support the women in our community in the early detection of breast cancer,” she said.
The group hosted its own breast cancer event on July 15, celebrating Pink Day in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Ronald McDonald House charities. Many women visited the BreastScreen van for a free mammogram during the event.
Westmead BCI manages the BreastScreen program in western Sydney.
To book a mammogram at the van or at a BreastScreen clinic, contact BreastScreen on 13 20 50.
The Wrights Rd Community Centre is located at Wrights Rd, Kellyville.
