THE lives of six
Donegal women will be saved every year if
BreastCheck screening is rolled out to women aged
65-69, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
The society is calling on women in the county, their
TDs and councillors to join them at Leinster House
on September 30 to demand the Government keep its
promise to extend BreastCheck to women in this age
bracket.
The Irish Cancer Society will hand in a petition of
signatures to the Government which calls on the
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar to include the
screening extension in the HSE’s National Services
Plan for 2015. The extension was promised in the
Programme for Government in 2011.
“When BreastCheck is extended to women in this age
group, every year 87 lives will be saved across the
country. In Donegal, six women will be saved every
year," said Irish Cancer Society head of advocacy,
Kathleen O’Meara.
If BreastCheck was extended, 43,670 women would be
invited to attend for free screening each year and
for every 500 women screened, one cancer will be
detected, said the society, resulting in 87 women’s
lives being saved annually.
"We are asking anyone who is aged between 65 and 69
or who has a mother, grandmother, sister or friend
in this age group to wear pink and join us at
Leinster House on September 30 at 12 pm and demand
the Government doesn’t forget about these women,"
added Ms O'Meara. |
