Early Screening Is Vital And Saves

15 March 2012

The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF) has been made aware of a breast screening issue that has emerged in Otago and Southland. We extend our thoughts to those women affected by these issues. This will have been be an anxious time for them. We understand that their cases have been reviewed urgently and trust that this will bring some clarity for them.

Screening is the single biggest factor in improving survival rates for breast cancer and the Foundation continues to encourage women to go for their mammograms. The Auckland Breast Cancer Register, which is funded by The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, showed last year that those women whose cancer is picked up by screening mammogram have a 95% chance of surviving to five years. This compares to women whose cancer is diagnosed through feeling a lump. Their chance of surviving to five years is 73%. Similar trends are emerging from early findings in registers in Christchurch, Waikato and Wellington.

We understand that BreastScreen HealthCare, the Southern District Health Board and the Ministry of Health are conducting an urgent enquiry into this problem and we trust that they will prioritise the needs of the women affected.

The Foundation believes New Zealand women deserve to have a robust screening programme and we are very grateful that screening is free for women aged 45-69 in this country. We encourage women to continue accessing their free screening service: we know this saves lives.

ENDS

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