“Breast cancer doesn’t care if you’re busy - a 10-minute mammogram could save your life”

There has been an alarming decline in the number of Queensland women attending mammograms this year and local medical teams are concerned this will result in an uptick of late presentation breast cancers which are much harder to treat.

The latest figures show a 16 per cent reduction in the number of Queensland women having BreastScreen mammograms in the first three months of 2022.

This means 10,700 fewer women were screened than during the same period last year.

In addition, experts believe that the long-term effects of the COVID pandemic coupled with patient’s reluctance to attend routine hospital appointments, could mean that breast cancers are being discovered at much later stages.

Karen Coningham was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer after failing to attend screening for five years.

While her cancer is incurable, her cancer is now being controlled by drug therapy from the Mater Private Hospital.

Having experienced the real impacts of a late diagnosis due to skipping regular mammograms, Karen implores other women not to make the same mistake as her.

“I used to go regularly for scans, but then life just seemed to get in the way,” the 61-year-old former teacher said.

“I’d felt a lump in my breast but thought it was just a harmless cyst like I’d had before.

“When it became painful I went to get it checked and was eventually told I had advanced breast cancer – and that it had metastasised to my bones and lymph nodes.

“I know that if I had been screened earlier it would not have got to this point, so I want other women to not make the same mistake that I did.

“When it’s time for your mammogram make yourself accountable – and just do it.”

One in every four Queensland breast cancer patients are treated at Mater facilities and Ashleigh Mondolo, Clinical Nurse Consultant at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, said that the incidence of breast cancer was steadily growing in Australia.

Fortunately, improvements in treatment and care mean that more women are successfully beating or living with breast cancer.

“Breast cancer doesn’t care if you’re busy. A 10-minute mammogram could save your life.”

FAST FACTS

• 92% people diagnosed with breast cancer survive

• If cancer is limited to the breast this increases to 96%

• More than 20,000 women and 200 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year

• The earlier it is found the easier and more successful the treatment plan will be

Image: Karen Coningham, who is living with breast cancer and Mackay Mater Private Health Hospital Clinical Nurse Consultant Maria Maxwell

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