STATEMENT REGARDING BREASTCHECK SCREENING IN COUNTY SLIGO
- 23 July 2009
In early March 2009 The National Cancer Screening Service announced the arrival of BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme to County Sligo and commencement of screening for women in Co Sligo from a mobile digital screening unit located in Tubbercurry town, Co Sligo.
BreastCheck is a Government-funded service that offers free breast x-rays (mammograms) to women aged between 50 and 64 on a two yearly cycle. Women in Co Sligo are screened on an area by area basis and appointments are scheduled to ensure organised and efficient screening. In total over 6,200 eligible women will be invited for screening in Co Sligo. Following the commencement of BreastCheck screening in March this year, it is expected that screening of the entire county should be complete in early 2010.
To date women have been invited and screened from certain areas in south Sligo including Achonry, Aclare, Banada, Cuilmore, and Tubbercurry areas. BreastCheck is now screening women in areas including Ballymote, Collooney, Dromard, Easky, Knocknaree, Riverstown, Toberpatrick and other areas. It is expected that screening at this Tubercurry location will continue until mid August 2009.
Second location
BreastCheck will commence screening eligible women from North County Sligo in late August 2009. To accommodate women from the North of the County, a BreastCheck digital screening unit will be located in the grounds of Sligo Retail Park, Dublin Road, Sligo, and will provide the free service to approximately 3,400 eligible women from the area. Women from Carney, Cliffony, Drumcliff, Glencar, Lissadill, Rossinver and Sligo town have already been contacted by the Programme.
BreastCheck Service
A BreastCheck appointment takes about half an hour and appointment details arrive by post, giving women no less than seven days notice. The mobile unit contains a state of the art digital mammography machine in addition to a reception area, waiting area and private changing rooms for women. Following the appointment woman will receive their results within 21 days in keeping with the BreastCheck charter.
BreastCheck advises all women aged 50 to 64 living in the Co Sligo area to make sure their name is on the BreastCheck register by visiting the BreastCheck website www.breastcheck.ie. or by calling Freephone
1800 45 45 55.
The aim of screening is to detect early breast cancer. The vast majority of women screened are found to be perfectly healthy with less than one per cent diagnosed with cancer.
BreastCheck provides a high quality screening service that aims to detect the maximum number of breast cancers at the earliest possible stage. The BreastCheck service should not be confused with the symptomatic service previously provided at Sligo General Hospital. BreastCheck screens all women aged 50-64. These women are not referred to BreastCheck by a GP and are not experiencing symptoms of breast cancer. BreastCheck is not responsible for providing mammograms for symptomatic patients.
While it is internationally accepted that no screening service is 100% accurate, BreastCheck aims to ensure that the screening service it provides is as safe and effective as possible and wishes to highlight the following quality standards.
Reading of mammograms
As a safety measure every BreastCheck mammogram is read independently by two separate specially trained radiologists.
Multi-disciplinary teams
A specialist BreastCheck multi disciplinary team provides the screening service to women. This team has a specialist interest, expertise and qualification in breast cancer and surgery.
Quality assurance
Service standards and quality assurance systems are in place throughout BreastCheck. These high level standards are in line with international guidelines to ensure that the best service is provided to the women screened in Co Sligo.
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