The number of women who have had their breasts screened for cancer in Brimbank is below the state average, according to BreastScreen Victoria.
A spokesman for the not-for-profit, government-funded program said the number of women in Brimbank screening every two years was below the statewide average, with local clinics in the area often struggling to fill all their appointment slots.
BreastScreen Victoria provides free screening mammograms to detect breast cancer and recommends screening once every two years for women aged 50 to 74.
Data shows that over two years from 2011, 645 Brimbank women were screened. In the subsequent two-year period, 300 fewer women had their breasts screened.
In the most recent two-year block, the percentage of eligible women who attended a screening in the municipality was just 53 per cent.
BreastScreen Victoria chief executive, Vicki Pridmore, said Brimbank’s cultural and linguistic diversity could go some way to explaining the figures. “It can be hard to get our message of breast health out when there may be other issues worrying women.”
Earlier this month, Premier Dennis Napthine announced a new funding agreement with BreastScreen Victoria to increase free screening services for women aged 70 to 74.
The program will receive $11 million over four years to provide an additional 12,000 free screening appointments for women in the most at-risk age category.
Ms Pridmore said the agreement would provide for another 40 appointments for women in this age bracket at the organisation’s Sunshine clinic.
“We’re thrilled to see the agreement come through. Women and age are the two biggest risk factors for breast cancer,” she said.
The funding announcement follows the federal government’s 2009 BreastScreen Australia Evaluation Report, which produced 15 recommendations. As of last week, there were 52 mammographic screening appointments available at the Sunshine clinic in August, and 557 left for September.
