BCNA go in to bat for us getting subsidised or free MRIs ... Sunday Paper

@Vangirl  -  I am thinking the 'beam' is the radiation ..... I am thinking she is saying that it is a tad close to their 'important bits' and they may have side effects and/or damage.

hmmmm ..... so it would appear that saving Men's bits are more important than finding women's bits earlier so that what some consider to be mutilation (with very good reason) doesn't need to occur??

Does anyone know what Fran Boyle meant by her comments about ''beams"? Why is the accuracy of the diagnostic tool more crucial for men with prostate cancer?

I will check with our "Prostate Cancer" nurse on Monday and see what is covered for the boys.  There really is so much difference as to what is covered where and at what stage.  Quite honestly I think it's disgusting that anybody with any type of cancer has to pay for scans, either diagnostic, follow up or for treatment.  If they have the technology and the meds it should be available for everybody from the get go. Too bad if you just don't have the money. 

It's definitely not rude.  I just turned 47.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO GET A DECENT 'readable' SIZE!!

If it isn't being rude, @kezmusc  -  what age are you now?

There are SO many inconsistencies in the whole BC thing, to be honest - from not being advised that you have dense breast tissue & are therefore more likely for it not to be found - to this blatantly sexist decision to allow men's MRI's to be subsidised but not Women's Breast Cancer.  :(   

How lucky were you that some of your MRIs WERE covered ..... what a bonus.

It is good to know that BCNA and Professor Christobel Saunders are on our side, in trying to get the funding thru.  Apparently, it is not the first time that Christobel Saunders has applied for funding for women with BC.  :(  

My initial diagnostic MRI was paid for by the hospital.  My 12 month check up was $575 (I was 46) as I no longer checked the "high risk" box.  So if you think you have breast cancer you are high risk, if you've had it your not.  LOL.

 The hospital has come on board recently and if you are referred from surgical outpatient clinic (by the consultant) for MRI they will now cover the costs of the MRI. So all 4 scans last week cost me zero. If my GP had referred me it would have been $120 gap on the u/s, $180 gap on the mammogram (if no biopsy required or it would have been $220) and $575 on the MRI. So many variations. Bloody ridiculous.

Ok, that makes sense as to why mine didn't cost anything (part of my post-diagnostic tests) as I am 42.

@Vangirl If you are 50 and over they are not subsidised. If you are under 50 they are. What I am unclear about is if there is any criteria for a 50+ year old to get a subsidy. Some places charge over $1000 I believe.

I'm confused about this issue. Do women generally have to pay for any MRI post-diagnosis or just where they have one as part of screening after the active treatment has ended?

Again, it's just like how women's pain is trivialised and under-medicated compared with men's. It is outrageous. Sexist, bordering on mysoginistic.

Despite the fact that my mother had breast cancer at 51, my sister had it at 44 which eventually killed her at 47, and then my own diagnosis at 51, I wasn't eligble for a subsidised MRI. Which would have been 'handy' as my breast tissue was quite dense and had two lots of high grade DCIS that could not be seen by 2D & 3D mammograms or ultrasounds. My BC experience would have been so different, and so much easier if I'd been able to have an MRI.

This shit makes me furious.