Though more than 37,000 women had mammograms at BreastScreen NSW clinics in May – the highest number of women ever screened in a single month – less than half were from an Aboriginal or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background.
Keen to increase these figures, Cancer Institute NSW has awarded over $500,000 to deliver 20 cancer control programs across NSW, including South Western Sydney (SWS) Local Health District which incorporates Bankstown.
BreastScreen SWS Manager Deepak Maharaj said they would use the funding to expand the mobile screening van program which operated in Revesby, as well as to create direct marketing programs for women who speak Hindi, Urdu and Arabic.
“There can be a range of cultural barriers preventing women from seeking a mammogram,” he said.
“Many countries don’t have a free mammogram service if they have one at all.
“Some women associate it with cancer which is a frightening taboo subject in some countries and others believe you don’t need to have one unless you are sick.”
However, Deepak said the free BreastScreen service was only for healthy women aged 50-74.
“BreastScreening is a cancer prevention program with the earlier detection the better, giving women the best chance of survival.”
He said the new funding would also be used to increase the operation hours of the Bankstown BreastScreen Service.
“Even if you only work in Bankstown, call 13 20 50 today to make a booking, it might just save your life,” he said.
