BREASTCHECK ON THE WAY TO KILLARNEY
- 19 May 2010
BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme is delighted to announce that women living in Killarney and surrounding areas will be invited for their free mammogram (breast x-ray) from the end of May.
Screening will take place at a BreastCheck mobile digital screening unit located in the Conference Centre Car Park, Malton Hotel, Killarney.
Eligible women aged 50 to 64 will be invited for screening initially from areas including Aghadoe, Caherdaniel, Castlecove, Dunloe, Flesk, Greenane, Headfort, Kilcummin, Kilnanare, Lahard, Muckross, Rathmore, Sneem and Tahilla. BreastCheck screens on an area by area basis and once screening of these women is complete BreastCheck will begin inviting women for their mammogram from the wider areas around Killarney.
Any woman who receives a BreastCheck appointment for a time or date that doesn’t suit can easily rearrange it by calling the BreastCheck Southern Unit on 021 464 9700.
BreastCheck is a Government-funded screening service that is offered to women aged between 50 and 64 on a two-yearly cycle and BreastCheck urges all invited women to attend their appointment.
BreastCheck recently completed screening women in the Tralee and Listowel areas from a mobile digital screening unit that was located at Kerry Community Services Headquarters, Rathass, Tralee.
A BreastCheck mammogram is a simple procedure and an appointment only takes about half an hour in total. A mammogram only takes minutes. 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.
Mr Tony O’Brien, Director of the National Cancer Screening Service, encourages all women contacted by BreastCheck to attend. “It is important that women take this valuable opportunity to look after their health. We also encourage women who have previously availed of this service to encourage those who have not yet attended to take advantage of BreastCheck.”
BreastCheck advises all women aged 50 to 64 to make sure their name is on the BreastCheck register by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55 or checking online at www.breastcheck.ie.
Once on the register and known to the Programme, a woman will automatically receive her invitation for a mammogram when BreastCheck is screening in her area.
If a woman is not on the BreastCheck register, there are two simple ways to have her details added. She can either register herself online in the ‘self search and register online’ section of www.breastcheck.ie or there are self registration forms available from BreastCheck that can be completed and returned by Freepost. These forms are available on request by calling the BreastCheck information line on Freephone 1800 45 45 55.
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