Breast Cancer screening services for women aged over 69
Screening to detect early growth of cancer has been proven to save lives and is now used by all developed nations to improve the health of their populations, although not always as generously government-funded as the program in Australia where the Commonwealth and States jointly share the cost.
As part of the Breastscreen Australia screening program, Breastscreen NSW is funded to provide free mammograms to women in the age range 50 to 69. However, asymptomatic women in their 40s are not turned away if they request a mammogram but women over the targeted age range are no longer invited by letter every two years to participate. This has been the policy since Breastscreen originated in 1991.
The April 2009 issue of Choice magazine reports that only 11% of women over age 69 participated in the screening program but that older women have an increasing rate of breast cancer with each year they live. Choice maintains that all older women should be encouraged to get their mammograms every other year because women who reach the age of 70 can expect to live another 15 years, on average.
Breast cancer is the most common women’s cancer in NSW. It ranks equally with lung cancer as the top two causes of women’s cancer deaths. Consider this: one in eleven women in NSW will develop breast cancer by the age of 75 years – and a further one in nine will do so by the age of 85 years. So why does the active screening surveillance cease at age 69? Because epidemiological studies worldwide have demonstrated that screening has the greatest ‘population benefit’ for women aged 50 to 69 years. Is it time to review the policy? Australian women are living longer, and it would seem to be reasonable to extend the age of active surveillance. Waiting for new epidemiological studies may mean lost lives.
Currently the situation is that women aged 70 years and older are welcome to attend BreastScreen NSW. Women in this age group are first advised to discuss their desire for ongoing mammograms with their GP so they make an informed decision, especially if they have other health problems that would preclude treatment such as surgery, radio- or chemo-therapy.
If you are a woman over 69 who would still like to participate in the free Breastscreen NSW program you can call 131 450 to make an appointment. Early detection means you will have the most effective treatment and chance of healthy survival.