A mobile breast cancer screening test will be making its way to Cochrane this month, giving Cochrane-area women an opportunity to make use of a special screening X-ray.
Setting up shop in the parking lot of the Cochrane Community Health Centre Jan. 21-23, the screening test unit will be offering screening mammograms to Cochrane-area women who are 40 years and over. This is the trailer’s second time stopping in the area.
According to Alberta Health Services, one in eight Alberta women will diagnosed with breast cancer during their life. More than 75 per cent of the diagnosed women are 50 years or over.
“The incidence of breast cancer is going up, but the mortality rate is going down,” said Joan Hauber, the screening test manager. “That’s our purpose — to decrease the mortality rate. If breast cancer can be found at an early stage, you have more treatment options and have a higher survival rate.”
Hauber described the screening mammogram as one of the most effective manners to detect the early stages of breast cancer, while the cancer is still very small. A total of two X-rays will be taken — from side to side and front to back — of each breast.
There are two permanent screening clinics in Alberta — one in both Calgary and Edmonton — the two mobile units travel to about 100 rural communities.
Women are encouraged to make appointments to visit the unit. Doctor referrals are needed if the woman has never had a mammogram before, said Hauber. Walk-ins will be put on a wait list, but aren’t encouraged, she added.
“We don’t want to turn women away,” she said. “But there are no guarantees with walk-ins. We will try our best to accommodate by coming back again or extending our hours.”
Hauber said the cancer-screening trailer has slated about 130 appointments for the Cochrane stop. In 2012, 90 women were screened.
“Our mobile was received well by the community and we got a lot of support from the Community Health Centre, although we didn’t quite get the response we were expecting,” said Hauber, who added they were expecting about 200 women in 2012. “But this is not unusual for a first-time visit to the community.”
Images will then be sent to the Edmonton Screen Test office to be interpreted by a radiologist.
Hauber said clients will receive the results within two weeks of their screening appointment — normal results will be mailed to the client’s physician, and clients who need “further review” will have their results faxed to their doctor.
To schedule a screening mammogram, call 1-800-667-0604.
