Breast screening: What to expect and why it matters

A breast screen is a routine women's health check that can detect breast cancer and other diseases.

Breast cancer can develop without any obvious symptoms, which is why regular screening is so important.

Bronwyn Marley is a lead radiographer with Breast Screen New South Wales, part of the National Breast Screen Australia programme.

So a breast screen

or a mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breasts and it's used to check for early signs of breast cancer.

It's designed to detect cancers as small as a grain of rice before they can be seen or felt.

The earlier we find breast cancer, it means that you have a better chance of survival and that your treatment can be less burdensome.

These are the reasons why you need to book a breast screen.

And the Australian and state and territory governments have made it easy.

You don't even need a referral from your doctor.

If you're eligible and are in the target group, you'll be invited by mail to book an appointment at a breast screen clinic or mobile van in your state or territory.

Breast Screen NSW, for example, operates more than 250 screening locations across the state.

It absolutely is free and in NSW, women aged 50 to 74 are invited by Breast Screen NSW to have a breast screen every two years.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are recommended to screen from 40 years and they're invited when they're known to the breast screen program.

Women over 75 are recommended to talk to their GPs to find out if routine breast screening is right for them and their health needs.

Breast Screen also runs inclusive rainbow screening clinics for trans or gender diverse people or those using gender affirming hormones.

It's important to check whether you should screen.