THINK you could feel something the size of a grain of rice inside your body?
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You wouldn't be alone if you missed it and that is exactly why every woman aged 40 years or older should make an appointment to visit their local BreastScreen clinic.
Yes, some people have opinions about getting their breasts checked - it could hurt and it's embarrassing often rank at the top of the list.
Bur health authorities are again urging women to look past the discomfort and focus on the lifesaving potential of a screen ... and before it's too late.
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"Everyone is an individual and some people will find it embarrassing and uncomfortable, people have a different level of pain tolerance," the region's Breastscreen manager Meg O'Brien said.
"But, 20 minutes every two years is a small price to pay."
Ms O'Brien is the first one to admit that cancer can be "tricky".
Cancer can grow and spread quickly for some people, while for others it's a slow process.
The facts are that one in seven women in NSW will develop breast cancer.
"It does it's own thing, but in the majority of people it's slow growing," Ms O'Brien said.
"But, the good news is we're picking them up earlier. Cancer isn't always a death sentence if we pick it up early.
"We can detect something as small as a grain of rice that you can't even feel."
Just as the progress of breast cancer can vary between individuals, so too can the signs that there may be a problem in the first place.
"It could be a lump, or discharge from the nipple, your breast could change size. It's really any change to your breast," Ms O'Brien said.
Women aged from 40 years old are recommended to have regular breast screens, while those aged 50 to 74 years fall into the higher risk group.
It could be a lump, or discharge from the nipple, your breast could change size. It's really any change to your breast.
- BreastScreen manager Meg O'Brien
Checks should be undertaken every two years, unless there is significant family history.
"People are alive today because they had a breast scan," Ms O'Brien said.
The COVID-19 pandemic might have forced the closure of BreastScreen clinics for a few weeks, but since they reopened in April safety protocols have been in place to limit the spread of the virus.
The measures in place at Breastscreen clinics include:
- Pre-screening questions about personal health and travel.
- Limiting the number of people in the clinic/van.
- Practising social distancing and providing hand sanitiser in waiting rooms.
- A minimal contact check-in process.
- Additional cleaning of equipment and commonly used surfaces.
There are BreastScreen clinics in Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange and a mobile service that travels through the rest of the region.
You can phone 13 20 50 to make a booking.
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