📣 BreastScreen progress has flatlined. BCNA’s response to AIHW data.

Bcna need to try and get funding to test young women with ultrasounds for free. I myself have just gone through my surgery and treatment at the age of 35.

There currently is no cost support for testing for women under 50. 

I am aware that even women with dense breast tissue a mammogram will not pick up a tumour as well as an ultrasound. We should all have the right to free testing. 

If it was more cost effective to have the scans more women would have testing and this could potentially save more lives and find cancer earlier so it can be treated quickly to reduce the risk of it spreading. 

I have already emailed the prime minister and the health minister with no outcome from my statistics around young women and cancer. 

I too recently had a 'normal' screening result given from a mammogram at Breast Screen NSW, and the recommendation was to have another mammogram in 2 years time.

Thankfully they noted my 'extremely dense breast tissue' which after I researched what that meant I decided to ask my GP for an ultrasound to be sure - and that picked up my IDC, I've since had a double mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy and am so relieved my cancer was still considered early stage - although had I waited the 2 years to my next screening it would have been a very different scenario!

Great thought provoking conversations and also thankyou for always sharing your own experiences openly Cath62​ arpie​ 

We agree that while the informing people about their breast density is a vital step forward in helping women access this information, but it must be matched by a clear pathway for comprehensive risk assessment and access to supplemental screening where needed.

BCNA will continue advocating for the best possible pathways for those at high risk of breast cancer.

My little bit of activism to help these numbers improve even if it’s only by a tiny tiny amount - I have been promoting screening to all my peers and friends since the day of my diagnosis and will continue to do so. Signed up to volunteer for McGrath at the Pink Test in Jan to promote and also informed of the Bondi pop up to many expats friend who live there. I will be driving education to all my female friends and hope can help and contribute to the cause. I had a great experience so far but would say that I only had a random female GP mention I could get the check for free via Breast Screen NSW because I saw her instead of my usual GP. When I saw him he was surprised I’d gone on the instructions of his fellow doctor. Not that it was a bad thing of course but his facts around age range and what he thought, he would not have told me about or mentioned it as a recommendation. My point to all of this is that even the GPs don’t seem to be fully up on promoting breast screening or know the correct info on when to. 

Just goes to show how important it is to have scans read correctly arpie. Radiologist aren't perfect. No one is. Look at that recent experience i had where the incompetent Radiologist reported i had brain mets and progression in my liver. While I had further investigation for my brain which proved no mets, my oncologist didn't follow that report and didn't believe i had progression in my liver. Thank goodness because I had 2 more chemotherapy treatments and my next scan reported (different Radiologist) I am stable for now.

I agree 100% Cath62​ .  My own ILC was totally missed by BreastScreen NSW due to my dense breast tissue (of which I was not aware.)  Only an ultrasound picked mine up, after my GP found a lump and a 2nd mammogram also failed to identify my BC, and luckily the report suggested I have an ultrasound, that DID identify the BC. 

I even gave BSNSW the opportunity to 're-read' my original scans, to see if they could 'now' see the BC.  I received a letter, gleefully telling me that I didn't have BC!  (This was after my surgery and radiation & commencing Hormone Replacement therapy!)  A spirited exchange of emails followed this letter, with me demanding that women be advised of their breast density on their very first Breast Screen as they can see it, then & there. At that time, they said No!

This year, BSNSW has finally agreed to advise women of their breast density ..... but they DEFINITELY ALSO NEED to then provide the client with access to a free ultrasound, to confirm or deny the presence of Breast Cancer.

It is an essential diagnostic tool for those like myself, with ILC.

I would like to see you add to this free ultrasounds for women with dense breast tissue. The number of times I have heard recently that for many women the out of pocket costs of an ultrasound stops them getting it.