The mobile clinic will be rolling into town May 30 and 31 to provide free mammograms for Chase and area residents.
Women aged 40 to 79 throughout the area are invited to come out for screening at the Chase District Health Centre.
Those wishing to attend must pre-register by calling the toll-free number 1-800-663-9203 Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., on Saturday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.. or by visiting the website at www.smpbc.ca.
There are some restrictions, however.
Those who have breast implants or injections cannot register directly but must first go through a doctor to receive a referral. Those who are pregnant or breast feeding cannot receive a mammogram until three months after finishing breast feeding. You cannot register for a mammogram if you have a history of breast cancer.
If you have a complaint of a lump or nipple discharge you are asked not to register, but to immediately see a doctor.
Finally, if you have had a mammogram in the last 12 months you are not eligible for SMP service for exactly one year after.
Anyone under the age of 40 who is high risk may be able to register for a mammogram but must first see a doctor to receive a referral. Anyone under 40 who is not high-risk is not recommended for screening as breast cancer is generally low in this age group and because their dense tissue matter make it difficult to detect.
Screening is available for those over 79 but a doctor referral is required.
“This is something that is very important for every woman,” says Dona Dube, a public health nurse at the Chase District Health Centre. Noting that even celebrities such as Angelina Jolie are taking precautions, with Jolie recently having a double mastectomy when she found out she was at risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Dobe did state, however, that the screening is not a diagnostic.
“It is a big screen or big net used to pick up changes,” she says. “Breast self-examination is still the best way to go.”
The mobile mammogram clinic comes to the area twice a year, and will be returning again this fall. If you happen to miss the May 30 and 31 dates in Chase, Kamloops does have a year-round clinic available.
The mobile clinic will also be visiting Scotch Creek from June 1 to 3 at the North Shuswap Christian Fellowship at 4079 Butters Rd. and in Sorrento at a date that is still to be determined.
All normal results will be mailed to either you or your health-care provider within a two week period.
Those who are asked to come in for additional testing may not necessarily have breast cancer, but a closer look at a specific area may be required. According to the BC Cancer Agencies web page, 95 per cent of those called for additional testing for not have cancer.
Their website also instructs those who do not have a family doctor to try to find one using the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC website at https://www.cpsbc.ca/. Another option suggested was trying the BC Naturopathic Association website at http://www.bcna.ca/ or the British Columbia Nurse Practitioner Association at http://www.bcnpa.org/.