In May Lantern Club proudly attended the official opening of the new Campsie site for BreastScreen NSW and happily handed over a cheque for $100,000 raised in our “Pink” campaign in October 2015.
These funds went towards building a ‘sensory suite’ which creates a much more relaxed environment for the women who are getting their scans done.
Well since the opening, we can also proudly report that a total of 931 women have bravely had appointments at the new outlet and 81% of those came from a non-English speaking background.
With Cantonese and Mandarin speaking interpreters available every Tuesday to assist women with their forms and explain the mammography process, 26 women have utilised offer this and a total of 174 Chinese-born women have had appointments. There has also been 138 Greek-born, 71 Vietnamese and 53 Arabic-speaking women having scans.
This is only the beginning however, the aim is for every woman over the age of 50 in the surrounding area to have a check up every six months.
The importance of check ups of women over 50 for breast cancers can make all the difference in the world in the outcome of those who are diagnosed with the terrible disease. While sometimes a lump can be prominent and easily found, smaller tumours may go unnoticed. 58% of cancers found inside BreastScreen are small.
Being told you have cancer is a fear of every human being, male or female. But in 2016 there are so many options for those who are diagnosed. Especially with breast cancer. Over 15,000 women are diagnosed with the disease and between 1991 and 2011, the number of deaths from breast cancer per capita decreased by about a third and with the aid of extra treatments and early detection, it continues to drop.
For those who don’t know, mammography is simply an X-ray of the breast. Two different angles are taken of each breast and the images are then viewed by radiologists to look for anything out of the ordinary that may require further investigation. A diagnostic mammography may then be needed, this is to specifically target a specific area of the breast using multiple views.
So what is the sensory suite? This is a new purpose- built BreastScreen clinic in the Campsie Centre which allows women to choose relaxing scenes on big screens, and experience their associated sounds and smells, reducing anxiety and providing a welcome distraction.
The Campsie centre is dedicated to encouraging women who may not get regular screening because of language or cultural barriers. With Cantonese, Mandarin and Arabic translators available, it makes it much easier for Canterbury’s diverse community to take the step of booking an appointment.
Canterbury Hospital consumer and Muslim Women’s Association representative Wafa Zaim said at the opening of the Campsie centre, having the new centre and the sensory suite will make a big difference to her community.
“Muslim women can be hesitant to access health services. By providing them with easy access to such a suite, and having bilingual workers facilitating the process, we can hopefully work at breaking this down,” she said.
To book in for your screening at BreastScreen NSW’s Campsie centre, call 132 050
© Lantern Club, Roselands