Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
The BC Cancer Agency’s new digital mammography coach will be visiting Fort St. James again.
The breast screening will be available on Oct. 20 – 21 at Spirit Park.
These vehicles were officially added to the Screening Mammography Program on Feb.1, 2016 and they have been busy making their rounds to over 30 northern communities in British Columbia.
These state-of-the-art vehicles, one of which has been busily touring the North, is equipped with a wheelchair lift, a spacious waiting area and an examination room.
The BC Cancer Agency says that with these vehicles, their goal is to continue to provide women with a comfortable and consistent mammography experience at all locations.
Screening mammograms are available for women 40 years of age and older.
If they choose to have a mammogram, it will be made available to them every two years and a doctor’s referral is not required.
The agency offers a wide selection of appointments to fit in with busy work and family schedules.
And for remote communities, assisted travel support is provided for eligible women in the community to attend either the nearest fixed location or mobile stop.
To book your appointment in Fort St. James, call: 1-800-663-9203.
According to BC Cancer Agency, it is important for women to screen regularly. Here are some facts about breast Cancer to consider:
- Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in Canadian women.
- Mammograms help find cancer in its earliest stages when there are more treatment options and a better chance of successful treatment.
- Research has shown a 25 per cent reduction in deaths from breast cancer among women who are screened through the Screening Mammography Program.
- Only half of BC women are taking advantage of this free service.
- The provincial program has 36 fixed screening mammography centres throughout the province and three mobile screening units that serve more than 120 rural and remote communities in British Columbia.
- The transition for analog to digital is part of BC’s Provincial Breast Health Strategy and allows for greater efficiency in reporting, sharing of images and allows radiologists to access both screening mammography and diagnostic images and reports on the same local system.
- The mobile units perform about 10 per cent of the total number of screening mammograms in British Columbia. Overall participation in the screening program by indigenous women over the past three years has increased by nine per cent and is currently at 57 per cent.