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BreastCheck invites 3,000
28.03.11
by Eamonn Mac Dermott, Inishowen Independent
BREASTCHECK'S cancer screening mobile was scheduled
to leave Buncrana last Friday as figures show 3,000
women had been invited for screening.
The mobile, which has been stationed at the Shore
Front car park since November, is part of
Government-funded programme that provides free
breast screening to women aged 50 to 64 every two
years. Screening is on a two yearly basis and was
first introduced in Leinster in 2000. Inishowen was
the last part of the State where the programme was
made available.
This week Sheila Caulfield of the National Cancer
Screening Service said: “BreastCheck has been on
location in County Donegal since October 2009 and
there are in excess of 13,600 eligible women aged 50
to 64 living in the county.
“Due to the high numbers of eligible women to be
screened it was necessary to introduce the
additional mobile screening unit in Buncrana. This
was to ensure all women in the county are offered
equal access to breast screening in a timely manner.
Women living in Buncrana and the surrounding areas
were called to this mobile.”
She added: “Over 3,200 women have been invited to
the mobile since screening commenced here in
November 2010.
“There are approximately 190 women living south of
Buncrana who will be invited to Letterkenny rather
than Buncrana and they have already received their
appointments.”
Ms Caulfield pointed out that BreastCheck will
remain in the county until all eligible women aged
50-64 have been offered a screening appointment.
She went on: “The Letterkenny mobile will remain on
site until the final area of the county is finished
screening later in Summer. The mobile will then
return to Donegal Town to commence the next (second)
round of screening.
“The mobile will return to Buncrana in 24-27 months
in line with the BreastCheck two yearly screening
cycle.”
Ms Caulfield continued: “Uptake of screening
appointments in Donegal is good. A mammogram is a
simple procedure and an appointment only takes about
half an hour in total. BreastCheck encourages every
woman in Donegal who receives an invitation for a
mammogram to go for her appointment.” |
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